Vilakazi Blames Coaching Carousel For Relegation Battle

Chippa United coach Vusumuzi Vilakazi has admitted that the club’s frequent coaching changes this season have had a significant impact on results.

Chippa were thrashed 5–1 by AmaZulu—Vilakazi’s former club—in a Betway Premiership clash at Moses Mabhida Stadium on Saturday, with the KwaZulu-Natal side completing a league double over them.

Compounding their struggles, the club is currently serving a FIFA transfer ban for the next three windows after former coach Luc Eymael won a case against them. Chippa have been given 45 days to settle the matter, after which the ban could be lifted.

Eymael had initially been appointed in an attempt to stabilise the team but was later dismissed and replaced by Vilakazi.

The club’s instability began at the start of the season when Sinethamba Badela lasted just two matches before being replaced by Musa Nyatama, who took charge for only one game. Morgan Mammila then stepped in, before eventually making way for Eymael.

Chippa has averaged one coach every 5.2 matches this season. This is the highest turnover rate in the Betway Premiership since the 2021/22 campaign.

Vilakazi believes the constant changes in leadership and approach have contributed to the club’s current demise, with Chippa sitting 13th in the Betway Premiership table on 24 points after 26 matches and once again facing a relegation battle.

“It does, I must be honest,” he said when asked whether the coaching changes have affected the team.

“It is not easy to deal with the psychological state of the players, especially when everyone is saying we are down and out. You have to try to restore hope, and that is not an easy thing to do.

“Players are different mentally. Some can quickly adapt to new ideas, while others struggle because they do not have the same mindset. But I think we have made progress in that area.

“We are working hard, and even though it is not easy, you can see improvement. This is a revived Chippa side with an appetite to play good football.

“Even on Saturday, we played well, but the unfortunate part is that good football must be complemented by goals and other aspects if you want to win matches.

“I still believe in and trust the process. Whatever happened before, we cannot change it—we can only take the positives going forward.”

Against Usuthu, Chippa’s problems were compounded by repeated errors, particularly when trying to build from the back, which were ruthlessly punished by a sharp AmaZulu side.

The five goals conceded against AmaZulu represent Chippa’s worst defensive display since 2023, highlighting the breakdown in “building from the back” that Vilakazi referenced.

“I keep telling my players that I am still waiting for a game where I can say we did not play well at all,” he added.

“But we suffered because of our mistakes—several mistakes—while trying to build from the back, which is part of our identity.

“I accept that we will sometimes suffer because of our style of play, but we cannot keep making the same mistakes repeatedly.

“We need to analyse and improve. It is our way of playing, and while there will be difficult moments, I do not expect us to struggle like this all the time.”