Top PSL fare is high on ‘Chippa’ agenda

CHIPPA United chairman Siviwe “Chippa” Mpengesi aims to bring more PSL games to Eastern Cape for football lovers to enjoy.

Mpengesi said the club was really serious about their commitment of bringing top-flight football to the province and they were still working on finding a way of bringing their games to areas like Mthatha, Aliwal North and others.

“We are aiming to make our province a football destination and we also want to revive the olden days of soccer when teams like Bush Bucks were still playing entertaining football.

“This is also our way of giving back to our previously disadvantaged communities, because Mdantsane is on the map already now. And I’m sure that people outside the province did not know that we have Sisa Dukashe Stadium but now they do.

“And we want to do this all over the province and especially in Mthatha because we want to market the province through Chippa United so we can grow together.”

He said the support they have managed to garner in East London and surrounding areas played a pivotal role in the decision to bring their second scheduled encounter with the Chloorkop giants, Mamelodi Sundowns.

“Because of this PSL couldn’t say no when we asked them to bring the Telkom Knockout Cup game against Sundowns to Mdantsane.

“They know that supporters will fill the stadium to capacity as they have never disappointed before, thanks to the love of football in the province.”

Mpengesi advised football fans to come in their numbers to the NU2 venue on both games.

On Sunday, Chilli Boys will host the wounded MTN8 runners-up Cape Town City who also lost to Bloemfontein Celtic during a league game on Tuesday.

After that, there’s an exciting match-up where the PE-based outfit would host the African champions, the Brazilians at the same venue.

“They [supporters] should come support the club as they always do, including supporters of many other clubs in the league and we urged them to behave themselves.

“We don’t want a situation whereby fans are booing players or anything like that. We want the same atmosphere that we had when we hosted Kaizer Chiefs at Sisa, because this match will be a buildup for the game against Sundowns.”

He said the club's sacked coach Dan “Dance” Malesela was not a fan of local talent, but their new coach was all about giving chances to local players and management was fully behind him.