Chippa United coach Joel Masutha has blamed his team’s Absa Premiership loss to Bloemfontein Celtic on his strike-force squandering goalscoring opportunities.
Chippa were shot down 1-0 by Celtic at Mdantsane’s Sisa Dukashe Stadium on Friday.
The loss capped a dismal run for the Port Elizabeth outfit against Celtic, having also lost the first round 2-0.
It also marked yet another failure by Masutha to win a game since replacing Eric Tinkler.
After being on the receiving end for the better part of the match, Celtic struck through Ndumiso Mabena to condemn the home side to yet another loss.
The loss is already piling pressure on Masutha, especially as his boss Chippa Mpengesi is known for being trigger-happy.
Masutha had a brief discussion with Mpengesi, who was flanked by four armed bodyguards just before he addressed the media.
He admitted to being uneasy with the loss.
“Sometimes you don’t even know what to say after losing because you can’t blame these boys for the lack of effort,” he said as he fumbled for an explanation.
“We should have had this game in the first half – this game should have been over after 45 minutes, but if you have chances and you don’t use them, you are bound to be punished and then you regret it.”
Being at pains to deflect the blame, Masutha said Celtic parked the bus for the entire match.
“They got one counter-[attack], a goal and then they sat back and defended,” he said.
“We were anxious and we kept making wrong decisions because we were now chasing the game.” The former Black Leopards mentor said if his men had been more clinical in the final third the result could have been different.
Already Masutha is planning to go into the market to beef up the squad during the January transfer window.
“I think the finishing was our main problem, as in the other games we’ve played. We have to beef up the squad.
“When you are down you have to make reinforcements and sometimes bring in fresh blood, but we just need to get the right people.
“Because that’s what we need to get out of this position we are in.”
Celtic interim coach Lehlohonolo Seema said kick-starting the resumption of the league with a win would go a long way in boosting the confidence of his bruised squad.
“First game of the new year after going four games without a win makes us happy, and we’ll take the three points because it was a difficult game.
“We knew they would come at us because they want to move from the bottom of the log and we [have gone] four games without a win.
“So we sat back and absorbed the pressure and waited for the counter-attacks.”
Seema said their players had a lot to get through in preparing for the game, like the departure of their coach Steve Komphela from the club.
“They missed a lot of chances and we knew that the longer the game remained nil-nil our chance would come and we were ready to defend.
“And under the circumstances – coming out of a Christmas short break and we had to travel [by bus], and the shocking news of our coach leaving us.
“We wish him all the best.
“We are still shocked because he was a good man.
“So there were a lot of things that these players had to go through,” Seema said.