Mammila not thinking about title race for now
Good form won't distract the coach
Chippa United coach Morgan Mammila won't allow the side's recent purple patch to convince him that they can stake their claim in the title race.
On Tuesday, Mammila etched his name in Chippa's folklore by becoming the first coach in the club's history to win four matches on the trot when they beat Sekhukhune United 1-0 at Chatsworth Stadium. The 45-year-old Mammila, who initially swapped his administrative role for coaching at the Gqeberha side by assisting Kurt Lentjies last season, has insisted the team's recent brilliant form won't fool them to think they can challenge for the title.
"My target is to maintain our current position [they are sixth on the table] and make sure we keep in touch with the teams ahead of us. We won't be fooled by this good form and think we can be among the chasing pack. We must be realistic and stay humble,'' Mammila told Sowetan yesterday.
Mammila declined to take credit for Chippa's recent rich vein of form, urging people to praise his players. "Mine is just to encourage my players to give their best, so I can't take credit. People must give credit to my players because they're the ones who are doing all the hard work on the pitch, not me,'' said Mammila, who hails from Ga-Magakala village in Limpopo.
That Mammila initially served as an administrator is the main reason many people doubt his coaching credentials. The Chippa trainer has reiterated he won't pay attention to naysayers. "Football is a game of opinions, so why should I pay attention to people who have negative views about my coaching skills? I have nothing to prove to anyone,'' Mammila insisted.
Chippa's next game is against Cape Town City at Cape Town Stadium on Tuesday. Mammila has welcomed the six-day break they will have until the City game. "We are happy that we will have time to rest because we have been in Durban for our last two games [against Kaizer Chiefs and Sekhukhune]. The break also gives us time to analyse Cape Town City,'' Mammila said.
Chippa took their home game against Babina Noko to Chatsworth Stadium because their home venue, Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium, wasn't available, according to Mammila.
Chippa's four wins on the trot
Sept 10: AmaZulu 1-0 (away)
Sept 17: Gallants 1-0 (home)
Sept 15: Chiefs 2-1 (away)
Tuesday: Sekhukhune 1-0 (home)