Chitipa coach attributes success to tactical mind
Chitipa United coach McDonald Mtetemera has attributed his youthful team’s recent success that has seen the outfit ending giants FCB Nyasa Bullets and Mighty Mukuru Wanderers unbeaten runs to his tactical approach.
The coach said he studies the opponents thoroughly before each match and comes up with a game-plan which his players execute.
He said: “There is no secret to the success. It’s all about good preparations. I have played football and coached for a very long time. I know most of the teams’ tactics and their players.”
The former Silver Strikers assistant coach said his youthful players easily understand his game-plan which makes it easy to execute it.
Mtetemera said: “I said it before that I have a very good squad of young players who are vastly talented. The only challenge was that most of them were playing in the TNM Super League for the first time.”
Chitipa United beat Wanderers 0-1 at Kamuzu Stadium in Blantyre and Bullets by the same margin at Karonga Stadium in their last two consecutive matches to move to fourth position on the log table with 13 points from eight matches.
Meanwhile, the team’s exploits have attracted attention with some insinuating that they are using juju.
But Mtetemera said it was unfortunate that some people don’t want to appreciate when a small team is performing well.
He said: “Does ‘juju’ work? I don’t think so. I don’t believe in juju. Anyway, let those saying that come and watch our players in action.
“In our eight matches, our players have won man of match awards in all the games we have won. That should tell you how good our players are.”
Soccer analyst Charles Nyirenda said for both Wanderers and Bullets matches, Mtetemera simply studied their strengths and shut them down.
He said: “When Chitipa United defeated Mukuru Wanderers 1-0 away in Blantyre, it appeared like the victory was a complete fluke.
“The manner of the victory though suggested something that soccer pundits hardly mentioned. And that is the ability to muzzle the opposition and make them look ordinary.
Chitipa United’s next match is against struggling Red Lions, who have four points from eight games, on Sunday at Balaka Stadium.
