Chippa United midfielder Abbubaker Mobara believes unity and mental strength will be crucial as the Chilli Boys look to put their disappointing Carling Knockout Cup exit behind them when they face Stellenbosch FC in the Betway Premiership on Saturday.
The match will be played at the Danie Craven Stadium in Stellenbosch (6pm).
Chippa suffered a heavy 4-0 defeat to Golden Arrows in the last 16 of the Knockout Cup at the weekend, bringing an end to their hopes of lifting the trophy this season.
Now, the Gqeberha-based side must shift their focus to league action, where a tough away clash against Stellies in Cape Town awaits.
A positive result could be just the spark needed to reignite belief within the squad.
Mobara, 32, acknowledged that the disappointment went beyond the latest defeat, with the club still feeling the effects of a difficult previous campaign.
He said the players understood the frustration that came with losing and were determined to avoid allowing those emotions to affect their progress this season.
“We are still hurting from last season as well," Mobara said.
"We understand the pain and frustration that come with losing, and the club did not have the best of seasons last year.
“We are trying to put that phase behind us early in the league campaign so that we do not find ourselves fighting among ourselves, searching for solutions and trying to find ways to overcome the hurt we are feeling.”
The defensive midfielder admitted that the cup defeat was particularly disappointing because the team had ambitions of reaching the final.
However, he believes the players must remain committed to the goals they set at the beginning of the season rather than dwell on what went wrong.
“It was not the start we wanted in the cup competition, especially because it was one of the competitions we were hoping to go all the way to the final in," he said.
"Unfortunately, the result did not go our way, and now we need to remain focused on what we agreed as a team to achieve this season.
“We are not far from what we have set out to accomplish, but we need to stick together and remain united.
"During difficult times, we need each other more than we sometimes realise.
“It will be challenging playing Stellenbosch, but our preparation has been spot on. It is now up to us to go out on Saturday, apply ourselves and get the result.
“Getting a positive result would be enormous for the players’ confidence and morale.
"We need to regain the confidence and character we had when we started playing football.”
Stellenbosch sit seventh with 10 points on the log, while Chippa United are ninth with eight points.
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