Chippa crash out but coach is aiming high
MOLOI WANTS HIS TEAM TO QUALIFY FOR AFRICAN COMPETITION IN 2019
Chippa United’s new coach Teboho Moloi has set lofty ambitions for his club this season - to qualify for African club competition in 2019.
Moloi has his eyes on the end-of-season Nedbank Cup, which offers a ticket to participate in the 2019 African Confederation Cup.
This is the continent’s secondary trophy after the African Champions League.
“We want to compete in these events and the players are buying into it,” says the rookie coach, who suffered his first defeat at the club on Sunday in a controversial loss to Kaizer Chiefs in the Telkom Knockout quarter-final.
A generous penalty allowed AmaKhosi to advance at Chippa’s expense into the semi-finals but Moloi said his players must see this is a harsh lesson.
“This is the kind of refereeing you experience in Africa so it’s good you learn to deal with it,” he said.
Moloi had five draws in his opening five matches in charge after taking over from Dan Malesela, and then high-profile wins over Cape Town City, Mamelodi Sundowns and away at league champions Bidvest Wits.
But the loss to Chiefs brought the club’s record streak to an end.
“What is important now is how the players pick themselves up. But they are OK with the result against Chiefs. It’s part of football.”
Moloi said finishing remains a problem he would look to work on during the international break.
“We have a lot of touch ups we want to work on.”
For their next game away at Free State Stars on Wednesday 22 November, Chippa hope to have midfield pivot Sandile Zuke back from injury, as well as veteran striker Katlego Mashego.
But it will be longer before both Mark Mayambela and Buyile Sali are fit again after injury.