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Chippa coach Malesela: 'People watch TV to be entertained‚ so we need to entertain them'

Dan Malesela is back at Chippa United.
Dan Malesela is back at Chippa United.
Image: Richard Huggard/Gallo Images

Coach Dan Malesela’s rescue plan will be tested when Chippa United take on SuperSport United in their DStv Premiership fixture at Lucas Masterpieces Moripe Stadium on Wednesday (5pm).

The Port Elizabeth side have been struggling to collect points in the league this season with only one victory in eight matches under their belt during the tenure of former coach Lehlohonolo Seema.

The poor results have seen the Chilli Boys slip to 14th place on the log. Chippa are now banking on Malesela to steer the team away from the relegation zone.

Strikers Eva Nga Bievenu and Augustine Kwem are two players who can help turn the tide and they will be out to impress the new man at the helm.

Malesela‚ who is on his fourth stint at the Eastern Cape-based club‚ said he will use the SuperSport match to evaluate how far is the team are in terms of the players’ implementation and adaptation of his philosophy.

“I don’t want to be ahead of myself because of the respect one must have for other clubs‚ but our first game will tell us where we are‚” Malesela said.

“You can look at players at training and be impressed and think‚ ‘Yes‚ we have you there’‚ until you play your first match.

“So I am treading very carefully here because I want to be disciplined first so that the players can be disciplined.

“We need to approach these clubs with respect. If we get maximum points it will be very good. If we get a draw it’s fairly good but we need to perform as well because of the industry that we are in.

“More so now that the games are not being watched at the stadium but are televised. People watch TV because they want to be entertained‚ we need to entertain them.”

The 55-year-old coach said it would be unfair of him to compare squad’s but if possible he would love for Chippa return to being the team that entertained people and also finished the season in the top eight under him.

Since taking on the role‚ Malesela has had nine training sessions with the team and said he has been impressed with what he had seen so far.