Mammila believes he can become the first coach to finish a season at Chippa

It may be seen as improbable by most football observers, but reappointed Chippa United coach Morgan Mammila believes he can finish the coming season at the club. 

Mammila’s optimism comes as a surprise given the fact that trigger-happy Chippa owner Siviwe Mpengesi has made a staggering amount number of coaching changes — more than 40 — over the past 12 years.

If Mammila were to end the 2023-24 campaign in the job, he would become the first coach in Chippa's 10 seasons in the Premiership to complete a season. 

The former administrator, whose redeployment to the bench at Chippa to replace novice coach Daine Klate in September of the last season raised eyebrows, returns to the head coaching position having previously vowed to retire from coaching.

“There will always be the first time,” Mammila, who returns to the United having spent few months as technical director of Swallows towards the end of the 2022-23 season, told TimesLIVE.

“I was the first coach to win four games in a row for the club. Why can’t I be the first coach to start and finish the season with Chippa? It is possible.”

Mammila said he has hit the ground running making plans for preseason in Gqeberha, where he enjoys working with his “best friend” Mpengesi. 

“Luckily, I know players in the Premier Soccer League and mostly in the National First Division and I am also lucky to have the chair [Mpengesi] who knows players as well.

“It is not going to be a difficult task for us to build this team because I have a good relationship with my chair. When it comes to player movements we know where to look.

“Working closely with him makes things a little easier because I don’t take him as my chair, I take him as my best friend because we work very well together.” 

Mammila said a priority will be to finish in the top eight. 

“The chair wants me to keep the status of the club in the PSL. There is no such thing as a mandate. The mandate there is a personal one and that is helping the team to finish in the top eight this season. 

“For the first time in my life I was part of a technical team that finished in the top eight with Swallows last season. Swallows was a different team and I was in a different environment. If I can repeat that with Chippa, I will be the happiest man. 

“It is good to be back at Chippa. This is a big opportunity and I did fairly well last season. My target for this season is to do better than last season and I can only do that if I prepare better. 

“The team has to have players who are much better than last season. I am not saying last season the team didn’t have better players, what I am saying is that you must always look to improve.”

Mammila's hiring and firing, after Mpengesi promised not to fire the coach, was part of a tumultuous string of appointments to the bench at Chippa in 2022-23. Klate and Mammila were followed by three other returnees to the post in Kurt Lentjies, Siyabulela Gwambi and Lehlohonolo Seema, as the Chilli Boys ended 14th and avoided the playoffs on goal difference.

Among other notable coaches who didn’t last long at Chippa are Manqoba Mngqithi, Ernst Middendorp, Dan Malesela, Teboho Moloi, Eric Tinkler, Rulani Mokwena, Norman Mapeza and Gavin Hunt.