Chippa must plan ahead after dodging relegation bullet

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All’s well that ends well is how Chippa United fans will remember their team’s eventful season when they dodged relegation from the Betway Premiership with a memorable last-gasp 1-0 away win over Kaizer Chiefs.

A positive outcome in Chippa’s final game went a long way to making up for the many difficulties the Chilli Boys endured during an eventful season.

With their top-tier status hanging in the balance, there had been many scenarios facing Chippa ahead of the Chiefs’ showdown.

One was the possibility of being sucked into the dreaded dog-eat-dog relegation playoffs.

New coach Brandon Truter and his team, however, rose fearlessly to the challenge to ensure Premiership football will be played in Gqeberha and KuGompo City next season.

Adding an extra layer of drama to the occasion at the Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban was that the match marked Truter’s first game in charge.

While Chippa United celebrated their survival in the Betway Premiership, coach Brandon Truter quickly shifted focus to the months ahead, outlining the need for an intensive six‑to‑eight‑week preseason to instil tactical principles. Newly appointed Truter kicked off his tenure in style, guiding his team to a memorable 1-0 away victory over Kaizer Chiefs in their season finale. Sammy Seabi’s first-half strike propelled the Gqeberha squad out of the relegation playoff zone, sealing a hard-fought triumph over Amakhosi at the Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban on Saturday. Despite the win, Truter said there was still much work to be done in the club’s preparations for the following season. Chiefs hosted the Chilli Boys, looking to end the 2025/2026 season on a high after already securing a top-three finish and CAF Confederation Cup qualification. Ahead of the game, the former Upington City coach said he planned to use the game to evaluate his team for the coming season. “We have to be mindful with the league starting so early in August,” Truter said. “We have to be mindful that we don’t suffer burnout and homesickness because, ultimately, it’s human beings that we are dealing with. “We are not going home at present. We are still going back to our camp. “We will spend a few days in training to assess where we can improve and plan the preseason as well. “So there is a lot of work ahead.” After replacing interim coach Nkosohlanga Dikeni, Truter was appointed early last week to lead the Chilli Boys to their final game of the season. “Coming into Chippa and your first game being Kaizer Chiefs, it’s always daunting to expect what you are facing,” he said. “However, I was aware of the club’s position when I arrived at Chippa, watched a few games there, and, as a football student, kept up with PSL football. I knew what had to change. “They lacked a bit of structure and tactical understanding, and once you get that right, it becomes a formidable team. “If you look at their record, there were always goals; even in their 5-1 and 3-1, there was always a goal. “I think that is what pointed me to change a few things in their structure defensively. “But look, I am under no illusion that things like these take some time; it takes a preseason, six weeks to eight weeks, where we formulate these principles. “But coming with one week to go, you have to say thank you to the boys for adapting and adjusting and being coachable. “The support from the staff and the players as well — I couldn’t have achieved it without them. “We knew that Chiefs were going to come at us, but the high line caused Chiefs a problem with the lack of patience at the back, and that is what we capitalised on in the first half. “We were a bit slow in terms of seeing that space and playing that ball into that space because ultimately we played the man instead of the space,” the coach said. Follow The Herald WhatsApp channel today and stay connected to the stories shaping our world. The Herald

It would not be an understatement to call it a baptism of fire.

Truter, who previously led Upington City, replaced Chippa’s interim coach, Nkosohlanga Dikeni, on the eve of the make-or-break game against Chiefs.

Energised by the win, Truter says there is still much work to be done regarding Chippa’s preparations for next season.

He stressed that with the next campaign kicking off in early August, it was vital that Chippa hit the ground running.

Truter said Chippa had lacked a bit of structure and tactical understanding, but once those faults were corrected, they would be a formidable team.

After a few days in camp, Truter is looking forward to six to eight weeks of preseason work where team principles will be formulated to put Chippa on the winning track.

In the past, Chippa chair Siviwe Mpengesi and his trigger-happy advisers have shot themselves in the foot by hiring and firing coaches at the drop of a hat.

Truter must be given an extended stay so that his structures have time to bed in and bear the desired fruit.

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