In a move that has surprised few yet underscored the perpetual state of flux at the club, Chippa United are finalising the departure of Belgian coach Luc Eymael after a disastrously short tenure of just over two months. The club, languishing in 14th place in the 16-team Betway Premiership, is poised to name Vusumuzi Vilakazi as its fourth head coach of the current season, continuing a cycle of hiring and firing that has become synonymous with owner Siviwe “Chippa” Mpengesi’s leadership.
Eymael’s impending exit comes on the back of a dismal start to the campaign that has seen the Chilli Boys secure a paltry one victory in their opening ten league matches. The team’s form has been characterised by a leaky defence and a blunt attack, leaving them hovering perilously close to the relegation zone and fostering a palpable sense of crisis at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium.
A Controversial Appointment from the Start
The writing was arguably on the wall from the moment of Eymael’s appointment in August. The Belgian coach arrived in South Africa with a reputation for short-term successes but was also trailed by significant controversy. His previous stint in Tanzania with Young Africans SC ended acrimoniously, and, most notably, he was infamously fired by Black Leopards in 2020 after making racially insensitive remarks, referring to the club’s fans as “like monkeys and dogs” – a comment for which he later apologised but which left a lasting stain on his reputation.
For many observers, his hiring by Chippa United was a gamble that ignored glaring red flags. Now, with results failing to materialise, the club’s hierarchy has lost patience, demonstrating their zero-tolerance policy for poor returns, regardless of the coach’s pedigree or past baggage.
The Next Man Up: Vusumuzi Vilakazi Steps Into the Fray
Waiting in the wings is Vusumuzi “VV” Vilakazi, a coach familiar with the pressures of the South African football landscape. Vilakazi, who recently parted ways with lower-division side Kruger United, is no stranger to the PSL, having previously worked as an assistant and head coach at clubs like Stellenbosch FC.
His appointment, however, comes with its own set of questions. While respected as a tactician, the challenge of steadying a ship as notoriously unstable as Chippa United is monumental. He will be the fourth individual to take the helm this season alone, a statistic that speaks volumes about the environment he is entering. His mandate will be immediate and simple: organise a struggling defence, scrape together results, and somehow instil a sense of stability in a club culture defined by its absence.
A Club Defined by Its Chaos
This latest coaching carousel spin is not an anomaly for the Gqeberha-based outfit; it is their modus operandi. Under the impulsive ownership of Siviwe Mpengesi, Chippa United has earned a reputation as the PSL’s most trigger-happy club. Over the years, a litany of coaches—from the experienced to the up-and-coming—have been ushered in and out of the hot seat with dizzying speed.
This chronic instability has made long-term planning impossible and has often left players in a state of flux, unsure of the tactical system or the leader they are meant to be following. The club’s defensive struggles on the pitch are a direct symptom of the chaos in the dugout.
As the club prepares to officially announce Eymael’s sacking and Vilakazi’s appointment, the broader South African football community watches with a mixture of pity and morbid curiosity. The cycle at Chippa United appears unbreakable: a new coach brings a flicker of hope, poor results trigger panic, the axe falls, and the search for the next short-term saviour begins. For Vusumuzi Vilakazi, the opportunity is a significant one, but the history of the chair he is about to fill serves as a stark and ominous warning.
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