Chippa United need to find a way to defend set pieces more effectively, coach Dan Malesela said after their 2-2 draw against SuperSport United in the DStv Premiership at Lucas Moripe Stadium on Wednesday evening.
The match was Malesela’s first game in charge since replacing axed Lehlohonolo Seema in the head coach position.
The coach, 55, said his players had responded well to his training methods but there were some minor issues that needed to be ironed out.
Veteran midfielder Andile Mbenyane put the Port Elizabeth team ahead in the 38th minute when he pounced on a loose ball inside the box, but the Chilli Boys failed to hold on to that advantage with both of SuperSport's goals coming from headers.
These are some of the things that the former TS Galaxy mentor highlighted that needed to be remedied.
“There are some good signs but there are still a lot of mistakes that we are making that we need to correct,” Malesela said.
“The struggle to defend set plays in particular. We have got to correct those things.
“We have got to win the aerial duels and be able to compete properly with those aerial duels. We must also avoid conceding through corner kicks and free kicks.
“We need to understand the discipline of the match and to ask ‘where should we be, where must we be’ when the ball is in a particular place.
“But we cannot be selfish and not appreciate that we got a point,” he said.
“We know that there are quite a number of games in January and we told ourselves we must try to prevent losing wherever we can, so that we can save ourselves from looking back at January and saying, 'we had seven games and look at what we got; it’s not enough'.
“We have to try to get as much as we can in January.”
The Chilli Boys went into Wednesday’s game after a double blow as both teams' goalkeepers, Mlu Mazibuko and Ismail Watenga, tested positive for Covid-19.
PE-born Kwanele Nkabi, 20, was promoted from the reserve team.
Malesela said he would go to the market when the transfer window opened as there were some areas in the team that needed to be bolstered.
“We are looking at particular areas. I don’t want to go crazy and just bring in players for the sake of bringing them. I want us to be very selective in where we need to beef up,” the coach said.
HeraldLIVE
Chippa need to improve in defending set pieces, says coach Malesela
Soccer reporter
Image: BACKPAGEPIX/ SAMUEL SHIVAMBU
Chippa United need to find a way to defend set pieces more effectively, coach Dan Malesela said after their 2-2 draw against SuperSport United in the DStv Premiership at Lucas Moripe Stadium on Wednesday evening.
The match was Malesela’s first game in charge since replacing axed Lehlohonolo Seema in the head coach position.
The coach, 55, said his players had responded well to his training methods but there were some minor issues that needed to be ironed out.
Veteran midfielder Andile Mbenyane put the Port Elizabeth team ahead in the 38th minute when he pounced on a loose ball inside the box, but the Chilli Boys failed to hold on to that advantage with both of SuperSport's goals coming from headers.
These are some of the things that the former TS Galaxy mentor highlighted that needed to be remedied.
“There are some good signs but there are still a lot of mistakes that we are making that we need to correct,” Malesela said.
“The struggle to defend set plays in particular. We have got to correct those things.
“We have got to win the aerial duels and be able to compete properly with those aerial duels. We must also avoid conceding through corner kicks and free kicks.
“We need to understand the discipline of the match and to ask ‘where should we be, where must we be’ when the ball is in a particular place.
“But we cannot be selfish and not appreciate that we got a point,” he said.
“We know that there are quite a number of games in January and we told ourselves we must try to prevent losing wherever we can, so that we can save ourselves from looking back at January and saying, 'we had seven games and look at what we got; it’s not enough'.
“We have to try to get as much as we can in January.”
The Chilli Boys went into Wednesday’s game after a double blow as both teams' goalkeepers, Mlu Mazibuko and Ismail Watenga, tested positive for Covid-19.
PE-born Kwanele Nkabi, 20, was promoted from the reserve team.
Malesela said he would go to the market when the transfer window opened as there were some areas in the team that needed to be bolstered.
“We are looking at particular areas. I don’t want to go crazy and just bring in players for the sake of bringing them. I want us to be very selective in where we need to beef up,” the coach said.
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