Chippa United’s Dan “Dance” Malesela wants to sing a different tune this season and finish among the top four teams in the Absa Premiership.
Finishing in the top four would also hand the Chilli Boys a chance to participate in the Caf Championships League and experienced players like Mark Mayambela, Daine Klate, Thamsanqa Sangweni and Thabo Nthethe will be looking to make Malesela’s dream a reality.
“We have been singing this song of wanting to finish in the top eight for some time now and I believe we have done that at some stage,” Malesela said this week.
“Can we not sing a better song, maybe finish among the top four teams? Is it possible? When the league opens the games will tell,” the coach said.
“My wish is for us to just have a taste of the continental football and see how it will be.
“Let us go there, if we don’t do well we will have learned something. But, we can only do that if we are among the top four teams in the country.”
The Chilli Boys kick off their campaign against Bloemfontein Celtic at the Dr Molemela Stadium in Bloemfontein on Sunday.Malesela said starting the league on a high note is important as it relaxes the players.
“You cannot even describe the importance of having a very good start. It makes players relaxed.
“We hope that we get a good start on Sunday.”
The former Mamelodi Sundowns defender said fans could still expect the same entertaining style of football that Chippa is known for.
“We will still pass the ball around and we will still have lots of movement.
“You can’t change the style of this club. It has adopted this style of playing, so you cannot change it to any other thing.” The coach said he was pleased with the amount of work they had put in during the preseason.
The Port Elizabeth professional team spent a week in Johannesburg as part of their preparations for the PSL but returned to Port Elizabeth at the weekend in anticipation of the league’s start.