September says he’ll help Eva Nga find his form

Chippa United co-coach Thabo September has offered to help striker Bienvenu Eva Nga get his confidence back.

The Cameroonian international returned to Chippa last month from Orlando Pirates, where he struggled for game time during his stay.

Eva Nga, 30, didn’t play a competitive match this season before he was released by Pirates, with coach Jose Riveiro preferring Zakhele Lepasa, Evidence Makgopa and Kermit Erasmus.

But with his move to Chippa, September said he has been training well as he looks to revive his career and outlined plans to help him rediscover his form.

“I think he is going to be a big plus for us. As much as he’s getting his confidence back, he is also going to be very important for us as a team,” September told Sowetan on Wednesday.

“Since he came back, he has been training well. He saw a bit of a change in the team as well. Mentally, he is strong and it won’t be too much of a problem to get his confidence back and he is looking good.

“He has been good since he came back. We had a good conversation about where he is and the opportunity that he has now at the club, especially where he is coming from.

“How difficult it is to come into another country and things are not going well, especially from a club like Pirates where you get booed when things are not going well. But he understands that there were many before him and what happened there has made him grow.”

September added that he is impressed with the progress Eva Nga has made in the few days he has been with the club.

“He has been training well. He will get his match fitness back and we are working on that. He is getting used to the team now,” he said. “We are coming back from a camp now. We are hoping that he gets his confidence back and helps the club.”

With the DStv Premiership to resume next week after the Africa Cup of Nations in Ivory Coast, the coach added that he is also impressed with the response he is getting from his players.

September, alongside Kwanelo Kopo, joined the club last month as co-coaches and will start with a match against Pirates on February 13 at Orlando Stadium. “We are looking good. I think players have confidence that everyone will get an equal opportunity to play.”