Eymael relieved as Chippa United finally break their duck

Chippa United coach Luc Eymael expressed relief after his side clinched their first win of the season with a 2-1 victory against Orbit College, though he admitted there is still plenty of room for improvement.

Goals from Xolani Sithole and Justice Figuareido helped the Chilli Boys finally get off the mark, lifting them off the bottom of the table to four points from six matches. Orbit, meanwhile, sank deeper into trouble, with Siyabulela Mabele’s stoppage-time strike serving as mere consolation.

Having opened the season positively under former coach Sinethemba Badela with a 1-1 draw against defending champions Mamelodi Sundowns, Chippa’s momentum soon collapsed. Badela and his assistant Musa Nyatama parted ways with the club, leaving Eymael — formerly of Polokwane City — to pick up where the pair left off.

Against Orbit, Chippa showed glimpses of progress even though they didn’t play one of their best matches, with Eymael admitting his side had to dig deep to cross the line.

“The first three points for us, and I am very happy for the fans,” Eymael told SuperSport TV after the match.

“Just a bit disappointed for the clean sheet that we missed because that was the lack of marking. We made some substitutions and the guys were not focused on the set-pieces. Everybody has their own job to do, but it’s a lack of concentration because we had more numbers than the opponent.

“We could have also scored two or three goals in the first half, so I am just upset about the clean sheet, but very happy about the three points.”

The Chilli Boys will be seeking further improvements as they now head on the road for two tough assignments — against table-toppers Sekhukhune United and provincial neighbours Polokwane City. 

One key area is clean sheets, with Chippa having gone six matches this season without one — a flaw Eymael insists must be fixed if his side are to climb the table. He singled out experienced defender Sirgio Kammies as a player who needs to adjust certain habits.

“I have told Sirgio that if he takes the game backwards once, I will take him out,” Eymael continued.

“It’s a bad habit which he has, and it’s difficult to change bad habits. The first option is to play the ball forward, second option sideways, and the last option backwards. With him, the first option is backwards, and it’s something we have to correct over and over.

“But I hope with his determination we will put it out of the way, and with this win, our team is on track ahead of matches against Polokwane City and Sekhukhune United.”