Chippa and Supersport for Sisa
Coach calls on fans to flock for key Matsantsantsa clash Baxter eyes history in chase to defend Nedbank Cup title
CHIPPA United coach Dan “Dance” Malesela does not want to be seen as the team’s messiah as they prepare to square up with Nedbank Cup defending champions, SuperSport United in a repeat of Wednesday’s fixture.
The Chilli Boys will lock horns with the wounded Matsantsantsa at Sisa Dukashe Stadium in Mdantsane tomorrow.
On Wednesday the Eastern Cape side emerged victorious with a 3-0 thumping over United in an Absa Premiership encounter that eased Chippa’s relegation woes.
It was only the team’s second win this year and Malesela’s first match back at the helm after Chippa had put him on “special leave”.
Chippa lost all three games he was sidelined under assistant coach Mbuyiselo Sambu.
Speaking to journalists yesterday, Malesela said they will approach to tomorrow’s game the same as on Wednesday as they were “striving to keep the momentum of winning going”.
Should Chippa win tomorrow, they would continue with their impressive run in the Nedbank Cup.
“Silverware says a lot to people. It shows that you’re doing something,” he said.
Should the Port Elizabeth outfit go all the way and be crowned Ke Yona winners, it would end a disappointing season for the side on a high note.
Malesela’s return has resulted in the team only needing a point to survive relegation and avoid the playoffs when they play their last league game away to fellow relegation-threatened Free State Stars, and has some soccer fanatics describing him as the “messiah”.
But when that was put to him, he smiled shyly and said that would mean he was bigger than the game, which was not the case.
“I’m here to do a job like anybody else,” he said.
The coach is aware that SuperSport will play a different team with regulars, Reneilwe Letsholonyane, Thuso Phala and Onismor Bhasera likely to be in the starting team.
Playing at home in front of a likely packed Sisa Dukashe Stadium and coming from a convincing win against SuperSport makes the Chilli Boys likely go into the game as favourites.
Malesela is hoping the fans will come out in numbers and energise his charges as they look to end their East London venture on a positive note.
“The players know I’m one who always says ‘you must never ever, ever lose your home games,” he said.
SUPERSPORT United coach Stuart Baxter is out to make history in the Nedbank Cup by helping the club become the first to successfully defend its title.
Matsatsantsa play Chippa United for the second time this week in the Nedbank semi-final, at Sisa Dukashe Stadium in Mdantsane tomorrow (3pm).
Baxter will also be out for revenge after his side suffered a 3-0 loss against Chippa United in a PSL fixture on Wednesday night.
United beat Orlando Pirates in last year’s final to clinch the trophy for the second time.
Baxter, who is the new Bafana Bafana coach, said winning the Nedbank Cup would be a great reward for the hard work his players have put in this season.
“We are the cup holders and we would be the first team to have defended the title.
“It’s important to win things. We are professionals and we have had a very good season but to make it a great season you have to win something.
“In that respect as professionals it’s important because we would set a record by being the first team to retain it,” he said.
“The players deserve it after a very tough season.”
The Pretoria side had a couple of their key players on suspension for the league game against Chippa.
The former Kaizer Chiefs coach said it was part of his plan to rest some of the players for semi-final.
“When you are in the modern game and you have important games you want to try and rotate the squad under control.
“But it doesn’t always work because I had a player who tried to get a yellow card but he got a red card and I had a player who was trying to get a yellow but he couldn’t because the referee was very kind to him.
“We have tried to rotate our squad with a bit of control, so it gives us a full complement of senior players to pick from.”
Baxter said he had seen the field and was concerned about its condition but added that both teams would be playing on the same surface.
“It’s not the best pitch we are going to get that day so we will take that into account, but I don’t think we should be scared of it,” he said.
“We are quite aware of what Chippa brings to the party and what areas we can exploit and I am sure that they think the same about us.
“It will be a good game and I am sure it will be an exciting one.”