How stars like Nwabali, Kwayiba and Jali are pushing Kopo’s Chippa to rare heights

Perhaps, in Kwanele Kopo, Chippa United owner Siviwe “Chippa” Mpengesi has finally found the coach who can achieve what the erratically managed club and its ambitious but eccentric and often criticised owner has always craved.

That is, a coach capable of pushing the Chilli Boys to the top of the Betway Premiership, where Chippa sit in the early stages of the 2024-25 season.

Long-time SuperSport United assistant coach Kopo has been a respected figure mostly in the background of the profession in the country. He has been entrusted — after also filling an assistant role at Chippa, the club known for changing coaches at a bewildering rate, almost always to the detriment of Mpengesi's long-stated ambition of challenging for the league title — with the head coaching job at the Eastern Cape club.

The method used by the coach to motivate his players ahead of Saturday's win against newly crowned upstart Carling Knockout champions Magesi FC at Buffalo City Stadium in East London seems revealing both of the season Chippa are having and also of Kopo's understanding of players and what makes them tick.

The 2-0 victory was Chippa's fourth in nine league matches, along with three draws and three defeats, and saw them briefly go to third place, before Stellenbosch FC upset Pirates' 100% record in Orlando on Sunday to leapfrog the Chilli Boys.

Kopo used the incentive of Chippa flying high in an almost unprecedented third place to motivate the players in an inventive manner for the match where recent Bafana Bafana call-up Sinoxolo Kwayiba struck seven minutes into the game and doubled the lead in the 41st minute.

“Credit to the players, excellent application of approaching the first half, good execution. We could’ve scored more goals and Stanley [Nwabali, Chippa's Nigeria international star goalkeeper] kept us in the game in the second half,” Kopo said.

“If I can tell you a secret to today’s game, from the time the guys woke up in the morning when they came to breakfast, we actually had writing up on the tactical board, a news headline — we wrote: ‘Chippa United climb to third on the log.’ And we wrote a little line below: ‘Chippa United climb to third on the log after beating Magesi.’

“That’s all the players saw every minute of today, that was the motivation to say we have an opportunity to make history and go into third position. And it keeps us in the top five as long as possible.

“The next game we play Cape Town City at home, and we have made a declaration that we must try as much as possible not to lose games at home, where we need to collect maximum points. We get three points against City, we will stay in the top eight going into 2025, which is something that would be very rare for Chippa United.”

The 48-year-old was asked what sets the early part of this season apart from so many where Chippa, who buy some big-name players but have a reputation for sabotaging that with some at-times chaotic organisation, from the many poor seasons that came before. He said the coaching staff have worked hard to instil unity in the squad, blending some experienced players with young talents, resulting in a formidable formula.

“It looks like we are going in the right direction. There’s good synergy between the players, good energy with them and there’s good unity among the players, and the experienced players are playing major roles. Stanley, Andile [Jali], Justice [Chabalala] — you can see the mix of experience and the youth and they [the senior players] have to take credit for what’s happening in the club.”

Kopo took a diplomatic approach when asked to outline Chippa's plans for the January transfer window, but acknowledged that goal creation remains a weakness.

We are looking for a player who can score goals. [Midfielder] Kwayiba is not a striker but he scored a brace today, so, it can be an attacking midfielder, it could be a winger but we are looking for someone who has the natural ability instinct to score goals.

—  Kwanele Kopo

“We haven’t really looked that far yet. Yes, we are talking with the management about where we might need [to strengthen] but we don’t want to upset the camp. We don’t want to come out and say we need this, then players start thinking they are leaving.

“Our focus at the moment is we are left with two games this year — against Cape Town City and Kaizer Chiefs — and it’s very important we don’t lose. If we don’t lose those two games, then we need to sit and review [our strategy].

“Yes, we need to score more goals — that one I don’t know what position it talks about. I don’t know if it’s a striker, but we need people who will score more goals. We will sit and assess now then we can decide what position we really need [players in] but we need to reinforce our scoring of goals and anything outside that is a bit of backup and a bit of depth.

“We are looking for a player who can score goals. [Midfielder] Kwayiba is not a striker, but he scored a brace today, so it can be an attacking midfielder, it could be a winger but we are looking for someone who has the natural instinct to score goals.

“Goals come from strikers, wingers, attacking midfielders, it could be any of those. If we find a winger who can give us 10 goals we will sign him. It could be a defender who scores goals from set pieces, as long as they score goals.”