Chippa United coach Norman Mapeza is faced with big injury concerns ahead of his team’s Absa Premiership fixture against amaZulu at the Princess Magogo Stadium in Durban on Saturday (kickoff 7.30pm).
The Chilli Boys camp looks a lot like a sick bay nowadays.
Elvis Moyo, Boikanyo Komane and Frederic Nsabiyumva are the latest players to have picked up injuries at the club.
Meanwhile, Andile Mbenyane and Diamond Thopola are still nursing injuries.
But ahead of the Kaizer Chiefs match Mapeza welcomed back Gregory Damons and Thabo Rakhale from recovery.
The Chilli Boys will also be without influential player Tercious Malepe, who is with the SA U23 squad to take part in the U23 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon).
To make matters worse, the 47-year-old Zimbabwean coach is working with a thin squad and does not have the luxury of rotating players.
With many of his key players out, it does not make it any easier for Mapeza, who is trying to get his first league win at the relegation-threatened Chippa United.
Speaking on the injuries his players sustained during their 2-0 loss to Chiefs on Wednesday night, Mapeza said: “Those are huge injuries.
“For Komane the bone was showing from a finger and for Freddie [Nsabiyumva] it’s a stiff back.
“He had been complaining about it since the Highlands Parks game.
“Elvis has a torn muscle and he could be could be out for a month or roughly six weeks.
“This is what we have at the moment.
“Like I said before, I give credit to the boys.
“They have been working so hard ever since I have been here.
“These things happen in football and those circumstances we can’t change, so we just need to soldier on.”
The coach said not having his full squad available would make it difficult for him to choose the starting line-up against amaZulu.
However, the situation at the club was beyond his control.
“Injuries do happen in football we are going to regroup and see how many guys will be available for Saturday.
“If we had numbers in the squad I could have given some other guys a break, but we don’t have numbers.
“When we go to Durban those guys who played against Chiefs will also play in Durban, because we don’t have numbers.”
The Chilli Boy are 16th on the log with only four points from 10 matches.
Chippa camp resembles sick bay
Image: RICHARD HUGGARD/GALLO IMAGES
Chippa United coach Norman Mapeza is faced with big injury concerns ahead of his team’s Absa Premiership fixture against amaZulu at the Princess Magogo Stadium in Durban on Saturday (kickoff 7.30pm).
The Chilli Boys camp looks a lot like a sick bay nowadays.
Elvis Moyo, Boikanyo Komane and Frederic Nsabiyumva are the latest players to have picked up injuries at the club.
Meanwhile, Andile Mbenyane and Diamond Thopola are still nursing injuries.
But ahead of the Kaizer Chiefs match Mapeza welcomed back Gregory Damons and Thabo Rakhale from recovery.
The Chilli Boys will also be without influential player Tercious Malepe, who is with the SA U23 squad to take part in the U23 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon).
To make matters worse, the 47-year-old Zimbabwean coach is working with a thin squad and does not have the luxury of rotating players.
With many of his key players out, it does not make it any easier for Mapeza, who is trying to get his first league win at the relegation-threatened Chippa United.
Speaking on the injuries his players sustained during their 2-0 loss to Chiefs on Wednesday night, Mapeza said: “Those are huge injuries.
“For Komane the bone was showing from a finger and for Freddie [Nsabiyumva] it’s a stiff back.
“He had been complaining about it since the Highlands Parks game.
“Elvis has a torn muscle and he could be could be out for a month or roughly six weeks.
“This is what we have at the moment.
“Like I said before, I give credit to the boys.
“They have been working so hard ever since I have been here.
“These things happen in football and those circumstances we can’t change, so we just need to soldier on.”
The coach said not having his full squad available would make it difficult for him to choose the starting line-up against amaZulu.
However, the situation at the club was beyond his control.
“Injuries do happen in football we are going to regroup and see how many guys will be available for Saturday.
“If we had numbers in the squad I could have given some other guys a break, but we don’t have numbers.
“When we go to Durban those guys who played against Chiefs will also play in Durban, because we don’t have numbers.”
The Chilli Boy are 16th on the log with only four points from 10 matches.
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