MOGAMAD ALLIE: Chippa shows Klate the door over team ‘just parking the bus’

Another season, another early sacking of their coach by Chippa United — welcome to the wacky world of the club’s chairperson, Siviwe “Chippa” Mpengesi.  

Daine Klate, the country’s most decorated footballer with six league titles to his name, was the latest to enter and exit through the Gqeberha-based club’s well-oiled revolving door.

He was fired after the club’s seventh game of the new season that ended in a narrow 1-0 defeat to champions Mamelodi Sundowns. Klate could so easily have been praised for securing a precious point with a goalless draw against Masandawana, a side chasing a fifth successive league title.

Instead, it was Peter Shalulile’s injury-time strike that eked out victory for his team, precipitating the departure of the 28th different individual to have coached the club since they won promotion to the top flight a decade ago. Of course, there have also been coaches such as the late Roger Sikhakhane and Dan Malesela who had multiple stints with the club.

The reason given by the trigger-happy Mpengesi for Klate’s dismissal was that the football played by his team was negative, “just parking the bus”. 

As any seasoned observer of the game in SA will know, going toe to toe with a clinical and well-oiled machine such as Sundowns is a huge risk and had Klate sent out his team with an attacking mindset against the champions they could easily have been on the wrong end of a big scoreline.

Sure, Klate didn’t have the best of starts, winning only one and drawing two of the seven games he was in charge. It’s worth mentioning that the victory, in only his third game in charge, came against Orlando Pirates in their own backyard. Before that he also secured a valuable point away to SuperSport United in his debut game as coach.

It’s hard to imagine that it was just two months ago that Klate was highly praised by the club’s hierarchy when he was appointed before the start of the season. The work he did in guiding the Chippa reserve team to a fourth-place finish in last season’s Diski Challenge and to a semifinal spot in the Diski Shield together with obtaining his Uefa B licence, were all highlighted as the reasons for being elevated to take charge of the senior team.

Remember that the former SuperSport United, Orlando Pirates and BidVest Wits winger replaced Kurt Lentjies, who has done a good enough job in steering the club away from relegation at the end of last season. 

It’s heart-warming to note that Klate, a hugely respected figure in the local game, has received support from a wide variety of influential figures including former Bafana striker Benni McCarthy, Gavin Hunt and Pitso Mosimane, multiple league winners.

McCarthy, who is now on the coaching staff of English giants Manchester United, took to a local soccer publication’s Instagram comment section to come out in support of his former Orlando Pirates teammate: “What a big shame on Daine Klate. I know football is a results-driven sport but when you don’t give a coach time to change the team’s fortunes what chance is there for anyone. You should be proud of what you’ve done so early in your career. Biggest (sic) things await you my broertjie.”

Chippa United could learn a thing or two about backing coaches from Stellenbosch FC and TS Galaxy who showed much-needed loyalty, calmness and maturity when their teams were enduring tough spells.

Stellies stuck with Steve Barker during difficult times in the 2020/2021 season when they finished in a lowly 14th place just two points ahead of Chippa, who were condemned to the playoffs. The Winelands club have risen strongly, finishing in a creditable fourth place the next season, level on 47 points with Royal AM and just two points behind runners-up Cape Town City.

Similarly, TS Galaxy stuck with Sead Ramovic, whom they appointed last October, despite spending most of the last campaign hovering just above the relegation zone. This season they’ve already beaten Mamelodi Sundowns and SuperSport United and they look a well-coached team.

Hopefully, with support from experienced coaches such as Hunt, Mosimane and McCarthy, Klate will emerge stronger from his early misfortune at Chippa United and establish himself as a top coach in this country.

Given his great playing record, which includes six league titles with SuperSport United, Orlando Pirates and Wits, the 37-year-old has a winning mentality that should stand him in good stead in the years ahead. He has time on his side and hopefully it won’t be too long before another opportunity opens.