Chippa United midfielder Siphesihle Mkhize has picked out the one thing that has changed since Morgan Mammila took over as head coach at the Eastern Cape side.
Mammila replaced Daine Klate early last month after the former Orlando Pirates star was axed over undesirable results.
Since Mammila switched from an administrative role at All Stars to the Chippa dugout, the club has won three games on the trot for the first time in eight years.
For Mkhize, there is one element that the Chippa dressing room has picked since his return to the club.
“What has changed is just the mentality. When we started [the season], we didn’t have the self-belief we have now. It’s now paying off,” Mkhize told SuperSport in a post-match interview.
It is that confidence that he believes they were able to match their more fancied opponents.
“It wasn’t easy to play Chiefs because we had not played a competitive game in a month. They had played three games since our last, so they had a bit of momentum. We needed to give our all today,” he said.
He explained what they did to ensure they ended Chiefs’ purple patch.
“Our game plan to not give them space worked. We pressed high in moments, sat back to save energy.”
He is convinced that sticking to that plan worked wonders as it forced Amakhosi to make a mistake.
“They do lose concentration, but you’ve got to remember they’re good players. They have a lot of good players like Edmilson Dove.
When you follow through with a plan, your opponent is bound to make a mistake at some point. We stuck to our plan, and I guess it paid off,” he concluded.
Chippa had to come back from behind after Siyabonga Ngezana had handed Chiefs the lead in the 44th minute.
Siphelele Luthuli got the equaliser for the Chilli Boys before an Edmilson Dove own goal sealed a memorable win for the Chippa Mpengesi-owned side.
