Chippa United chairman Chippa Mpengesi has said head coach Gavin Hunt has the full support of the management, and has urged for patience.
The former Kaizer Chiefs, Bidvest Wits and SuperSport United coach joined Chippa at the start of the season.
While Chippa started the season with a win, it has been a tough campaign since and the club are currently 13th after six games, having lost three matches, and drawn two others, including their last fixture against SuperSport.
“We are now six games into the new season. So far, this season has been a mixed bag of fortunes for our #ChilliBoyz – as our team is affectionately known,” Mpengesi said in a letter to the supporters released by the club.
“As you probably know we have only won one game, drawn two and lost three. I will be the first one to admit that this is not a pretty picture and those of you that are worried about this, are justified.
“But those of us who have been with the team since pre-season and have seen what the coach and the technical team have been trying to drill into the boys, are not as worried as those, whose only interaction with the team has been through watching our games on television.
“This is because we have seen the amount of work that has gone into improving this team. We have also seen how the boys are responding to what the coaches want from them. Everyone has been putting in a shift.
“And as management and owners of the team, we see and acknowledge this. This kind of commitment has really warmed our hearts and it makes us very happy. We are confident that, very soon, our fortunes will change for the better – setting ourselves on a course to success.
“In our last game before the international break, which we played at Sisa Dukashe stadium in Mdantsane against Supersport United, you could already see that the team is starting to take shape. While the game ended in a goalless draw, we picked up a lot of positives.
“In my last letter to you, which was published ahead of our opening game of the new season, I wrote that as management and owners of this team, we have been very impressed with what the coach and his technical team had achieved in the short space of time that they have been with us. I wrote about mytrust in coach Gavin Hunt and I committed to do everything in my power to support him and his technical teamand to make sure that they have everything the need to succeed in their mission. I still stand by that commitment.
“The coach has our full support. We want to see him and the players succeed. So I urge all of you to be patient. Patience is important as it is a prime mediator of success in any sport, specially team sports like soccer. As owners we are in this thing for the long-haul and we are not looking for quick fixes at all.”
Chippa’s next fixture is an away game against Hunt’s former employers Chiefs, at the FNB Stadium on 18 October.
Chippa’s next fixture is an away game against Hunt’s former employers Chiefs, at the FNB Stadium on 18 October.
