Dan Malesela is worried about the character of his players ahead of Tuesday’s match against champions Mamelodi Sundowns after twice letting the lead slip in their last game against Lamontville Golden Arrows.

The hard-talking Chippa United coach was furious as his side twice allowed Arrows back into the game that ended in a 2-2 draw at the Sisa Dukashe Stadium in Mdantsane on Friday.

“I’m worried about the character because if you don’t have character‚ how are you are going to Pretoria with the strength to face Sundowns?‚" he asked

"Then you are going to face problems.”

Chippa were dominant in the first half on Friday but allowed Arrows back in the second half of the Premier Soccer League match.

“I have moved away from questioning the character of my players.

“But last week we displayed a bit of character but on Friday‚ I think‚ we displayed complacency.

“You wonder where the consistency will be coming from.

"We need to have leadership and to have character.

"If you have leadership‚ you’ll have character.

"But if you don’t have character‚ you won’t win matches.

“I’m beginning to question certain things we are doing.

"Against Bloemfontein Celtic we had 10 men but we fought‚” Malesela said of the 2-0 defeat in an away game that saw the early sending off of Rhulani Manzini.

“Then against Arrows we had 11 men and we were exposing them so bad and then we say ‘oh‚ OK‚ we leave you‚ go ahead‚ equalise’.

"It’s not how we win matches.”

Malesela was pleased with Chippa’s dominant first half performance against Arrows‚ “but what changed between the first and the second half beats me”.

“We played as a team in the first half but in the second half players decided to play as individuals.”

Chippa have had little time to work on correcting things‚ traveling up to Pretoria on Monday.

“I don’t have to rectify anything before the Sundowns game.

"They (the players) must do it‚ it’s not up to me.

"For sure‚ the job that is put up by this club is evident for everybody to see.

"Now it is up to the players to man up.”

It is the second meeting in a month between the two clubs after they drew 1-1 at a rain-swept Mdantsane on February 14. - TMG Digital