TELONE FC head coach Saul Chaminuka says his side must quickly address their defensive lapses as they prepare for their Castle Lager Premier Soccer League Matchday 15 encounter against Agama FC at Ascot Stadium in Gweru.
Chaminuka made the remarks following TelOne’s 1-1 draw against FC Hunters, a result that continued the team’s frustrating trend of surrendering leads after promising starts.
“We started the game well. We led, and after we led, yes we had moments where we played well, but there is a time that we just crumbled, and the hosts were on top of the game. Hence the equaliser, and this is happening nearly in every match that we are playing,” said Chaminuka.
The TelOne mentor admitted that while his team has shown improvement in creating scoring opportunities, maintaining concentration after taking the lead remains a major concern.
“We are consistent, yes, starting to open up the account, but after that we failed to keep that goal so that we probably could go again and score a second goal before the other team equalises. So it’s one thing that we are working on, and I’m sure we’ll come out right,” he said.
Chaminuka singled out his side’s defending from set-pieces as another worrying weakness, particularly after conceding several goals from dead-ball situations in recent matches.
“The major problem is we are conceding, especially from set-pieces, and I think since I arrived we have conceded four goals from those situations. It’s what we are doing at training, but I don’t know what happens on the pitch,” he explained.
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“You look at the team and you are like, what has happened? Why did they pause? They are failing to react to where the ball drops, and the opponent capitalises. I think we will continue to work on that.”
Despite the challenges, Chaminuka dismissed speculation about strengthening the squad during the transfer window, insisting his immediate focus is on improving the current group of players.
“I don’t want to talk about that now, because we still have plenty of games, and if I were to talk about bringing in new players, you can imagine what will happen with the players that I have currently,” he said.
“At the moment I don’t want to think about recruiting. I want to think about the team that I have and how to go about business so that we don’t continue to concede goals.”
The coach, who is still shaping the team according to his philosophy, acknowledged that pressure is inevitable during a transition period but believes positive signs are beginning to emerge.
“I think it is normal in a transition like this, you have to play under pressure because you want the players to understand your style and how you want your game played,” Chaminuka said.
“Obviously you will have pressure, but I think it is something that we have started dealing with, and there are a lot of positives when you look at how we are trying to turn the team around.”
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