Durban — Chippa United will play host to Mamelodi Sundowns on Wednesday at 7.30pm at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium in Gqeberha. Mamelodi Sundowns will be trying to rebound from a loss.
The defending DStv Premiership winners are in unfamiliar circumstances at this point in the season, having suffered two defeats in the first six games, the most recent of which was last Friday against SuperSport United in the Tshwane derby.
Co-coach of the Sundowns, Manqoba Mngqithi, noted that his team is in an unfamiliar environment but stressed the necessity of being mentally prepared for the Chilli Boys.
“The mood is excellent (in the camp), but obviously we still feel the pain; we are not used to losing matches of this nature, but we must move on and concentrate on the next assignment,” Mngqithi remarked.
Mngqithi, although being intent on dominating Chippa, lauded the impact that new Chippa coach Daine Klate has had on the club.
“It is heartening to see what Daine has accomplished with this team. Ighadoro Etiosa has done very well for them, he has been involved in two or three of their goals this season,” Mngqithi explained. “They scored a few goals from set pieces, and (Abdi) Banda has played a role for them in that area, and they also have (Abdi) Banda, who has played a role for them in that space, and (Abdi) Banda, who has played a role for them in that area
They’re tremendously offensive and don’t only play on the break, a testament to Daine’s general structural prowess.
Mngqithi believes that the Chilli Boys’ tactical versatility makes them dangerous, given that they nearly accomplished a spectacular second half comeback in their most recent match against the Arrows after trailing 3-0 at halftime.
“Unfortunately against Golden Arrows, they were dissatisfied with their first half, but they had an excellent second half, which speaks to the quality of their coaching, so we do anticipate a difficult match, but as Sundowns, we know we are expected to win,” he concluded.
Chippa’s meeting with Sundowns could not have come at a worse moment. The fact that they have won only one of their first six matches, a shocking triumph at Orlando Pirates, demonstrates the danger they bring.
However, Chippa are positioned at the bottom of the league and enter this encounter with only five points. In order to advance and avoid a potential relegation struggle, they will need a confidence-boosting victory over Sundowns.