Enos Chatama addresses the media ahead of Satuday’s clash with Songwe Border United.
Here's what the head coach had to say on the following subjects:
Shaping up for Saturday
The boys are ready, the morale in camp is sky-high, and they are itching to play on Saturday. We’ve had a bad spell in the last four games, but we’ve told the boys to forget about that and focus on the upcoming game.
Squad atmosphere amid bad spell
It’s all about morale. The boys need to regain their confidence and remain composed. Since losing four games consecutively, they seem to have lost their mojo. We need to bring them back to full confidence and ensure they are ready for the game.
Facing the league's bottom side
It’s a tricky fixture, considering we are playing a team that hasn’t won yet. For us, we must not take this game lightly. We have to approach it with courage, confidence, and character to secure a win.
On defensive homework
We’ve worked on those areas, but sometimes training and actual games are very different. We defended well in the first round, but we haven’t started the second round strongly. Any long ball into our defensive zone causes panic. We’ve been working on this, and I believe things will improve. All we need is to give the boys confidence and the courage to go the extra mile.
On battle for survival with wins proving elusive
Sometimes you plan for something, and things turn out differently on the field. We shouldn’t put pressure on the boys. They will start winning games. We have good players, they are gelling, and little by little, they will get there.
Since 2020, every team that has entered the Super League has collected a maximum of 42 points. Let’s see where we finish at the end of the season. There’s no need for pressure, we are building this team, and we are building a good one.
How crucial is a win on Saturday
Winning is very important to bring confidence back to the boys. We’ve played good football in the last four games, but we haven’t been able to score. We finished the first round with 26 points, which was a remarkable achievement. In the second round, we just need to push on to stay in the league and prepare for next season.
Mpira Stadium return, 9 months later
We have to approach the game seriously; the pitch should not determine success or failure. We need to play according to our plan, from the first to the last whistle. In past games, we’ve often had to work hard mostly in the second half after going behind. This time, we believe we will convert our chances. The boys should not feel pressured,football is a process. Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose. You can fall down seven times and get up eight.
Early team news
Most of the players are ready. Maybe one or two will be out, but that should not be an excuse. We will feature the players who are ready.
On if Lewa Nkosi will mark debut against his former club
Lewa has been out for two weeks and is not yet at full fitness. He hasn’t started training and is still in rehabilitation. We should not think about him until the end of the month when he will return to light training. We cannot force players to come back early.
Word to fans
They should not panic. We are a one-year-old team, but I believe the team will get stronger and stronger. We are recruiting better players, and will see where we are by the end of the season.
