Exclusive Interview: New Chippa Coach Reveals All About Mpengesi

Exclusive Interview: New Chippa Coach Reveals All About Mpengesi

Chippa United’s new head coach, Siyabulela Gwambi, has expressed his confidence in the team’s ability to retain their DStv Premiership status under the support of Chairman Siviwe Mpengesi. Gwambi, who was appointed to the position last week after the departure of Kurt Lentjies, suffered a 3-1 loss in his debut match against Marumo Gallants on Wednesday evening.

Fighting for Survival

The loss saw Chippa United drop to 15th place in the league standings, putting them in the relegation zone with just 12 points left to play for. However, Gwambi remains optimistic about the team’s future and is determined to steer them towards safety.

New Experiment

The new coach emphasized the need for a new approach to the game, saying, “Definitely, there is full support because now we have to put a new experiment and see if it’s going to work.” Gwambi hopes to make the necessary changes to the team ahead of the Nedbank Cup but also aims to maintain a consistent lineup going forward.

Past Experience

Gwambi’s past experience as a coach in a similar situation is an asset to the team’s efforts to stay up.

“Experience wise two seasons ago if you might remember I was in a similar position, so it’s not even a difficult thing to do,” he said. “If I believe, you expect the others to follow suit. So it is a matter of making them believe that we can do it by making reference to where we are coming from a few seasons back we were in the same position. This is what we achieved. So it is achievable.”

12 Points Left

With just 12 points left to play for, Gwambi is determined to make the most of Chippa United’s two remaining home games. He believes that taking advantage of these matches is crucial to the team’s survival.

“There are 12 points to play for, it’s a lot and I mean we still have two home games we must take advantage of, you never know what might happen,” he said.

Nedbank Cup

The Chilli Boys’ next game is a Nedbank Cup quarter-final match against Sekhukhune United on Sunday at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium. While the cup competition may provide a welcome distraction from the team’s league struggles, Gwambi’s focus remains on retaining Chippa United’s DStv Premiership status.