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Chippa United coach positive of dodging axe

Chippa United coach Norman Mapeza.
Chippa United coach Norman Mapeza.
Image: Richard Huggard/Gallo Images

Chippa United coach Norman Mapeza is unfazed by the club position on the PSL log standings as he believes they can survive relegation.

Following their 0-3 thumping by Mamelodi Sundowns at Loftus, the Chilli Boys find themselves 12th on the log with 22 points from 22 matches.

They are two points ahead of 15th placed AmaZulu who lost 2-1 to Golden Arrows in Durban also on Saturday. Mapeza said his objective now is to help the team survive relegation. "I believe that we will survive, it is not about anybody else, it is me who believes that if we work hard we can survive," Mapeza said. "That's the main objective, to survive relegation. If you look at our position, do you think we have to fight for position three? Do you think it can happen?

"You have to be realistic, we don't want to build a mountain which we can't climb. Our objective is to survive relegation, it doesn't matter which position, I don't want to be too ambitious."

When Mapeza took over at Chippa in October last year, the team was languishing at the relegation zone but managed to temporarily take them out. He managed to register five victories in 15 matches he has been in charge of the club, but following three successive defeats, they are now back in relegation zone.

"Everybody knows the position of the club when I came here, we are trying to work, the objective is clear ... for everybody to know that we need to survive relegation.

"So far so good, I can't complain, I'm learning and I hope at the end of the season we will get better position. So far, out of eight matches, we have played six games away and only two games in PE, it is not easy to play away from home.

"Three games we played away against big teams, SuperSport United, Orlando Pirates and now Sundowns. Difficult games for us but we keep working hard."

Chippa next face Bidvest Wits in the Nedbank Cup last 16 away on Tuesday before they host fellow relegation strugglers AmaZulu on February 29 in a league match.

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