- Only 1 win in 10 games, placed in and around the relegation places
- Ngele has not registered a goal or assist in 9 games, his worst run
BONGANI MALUNGA
The addition of the experienced Mogakolodi Ngele and the tactical nous of Gavin Hunt was expected to be just what the doctor ordered for Chippa United. Ngele and Hunt have won trophies at almost every club they have joined, their mere presence was expected to inject a winning mentality into the club and help them push up the table to compete for an MTN8 spot.
However, the pre-season excitement has been dampened by a bad run of form which has seen the club involved in an early relegation battle as the season approaches the halfway point.
The 1-0 win over Sekhukhune United on the opening day of the 2021/2022 DSTV Premiership season seemed to be the beginning of something special but that was as good as it got for the club as they have not won any game for more than three months. With no wins in the last nine games, the club has also been struggling in front of goal.
Chippa United have no scored in any of their last five league games and the poor form has seen them drop to the 13th position on the log. As it stands they are two points away from the relegation/promotion playoff spot (14th) and three points away from the automatic relegation spot (15th).
On an individual level Ngele is currently going through his worst run in recent years. The 31 year old has not registered a goal or assist in nine games this season. Ngele has been an ever present figure in Hunt’s first team this season, he has missed only one league game this season (the 2-1 defeat against Stellenbosch FC on September 25).
He had an encouraging debut against Sekhukhune United as he was a constant threat from set piece range, his form has also been affected by his club’s dramatic slide as he has not been as influential as expected.
Chippa United will be hopeful of improving their fortunes in the next four games as they will not be facing any of the traditional big guns of South African football. They will face Baroka FC (this weekend), TS Galaxy, Amazulu and Maritzburg United.