Chippa United head coach Vusumuzi Vilakazi said it is time to produce results after players have had ample opportunity to acquaint themselves with the club’s setup.
Vilakazi said he wants nothing less than a victory over Orbit College when the two teams play on Saturday in their first game of 2026.
The coach used the Afcon break as a mini preseason to instill his philosophy in the players.
Chippa stayed in Johannesburg and played friendly matches against other PSL and Motsepe Foundation Champions clubs in the area.
The Chilli Boys finished the first half of their Betway Premiership season in a state of uncertainty, at the bottom of the table after 15 games.
This season, the Gqeberha team has won only one match and finished the season in 16th place on the log with nine points, putting them in danger of relegation.
Despite this, Vilakazi remains optimistic the team will avoid the drop this season.
When asked what his points target was to help the team avoid relegation, the coach said: “For the time being I can’t say how many points will save us. It will also depend on how the clubs ahead of us perform.”
“But we’re lucky the teams ahead of us don’t have a big lead.
“The most important thing is to ensure we win our remaining games.
“The players understand what is required. I am unable to reveal our game plan at this time because doing so would give our opponents an advantage.
“The players understand how important this game is. It’s our first game of the year, and I believe we’ve had enough time to understand each other and what is required.
“Whether we play well or not, we need to generate results.
“We’ll be looking for a win against Orbit on Saturday, nothing else.”
Saturday’s away game will be followed by another away game against Durban City on January 30.
The team will then head back home to face Richards Bay in East London on February 14.