Chippa set for tough encounter
COACH Dan Malesela’s team will need to have their wits about them when they play Mamelodi Sundowns in their Premier Soccer League encounter in East London tomorrow.
The Port Elizabeth side play the league defending champions at the Sisa Dukashe Stadium in Mdantsane tomorrow night (kickoff 7.30pm).
Chippa will go into the match with confidence after their 2-1 victory against struggling Baroka last week but will be wary of a Sundowns team which thrashed Orlando Pirates 6-0 on Saturday.
Malesela has not been happy with his defence and they will again be tested to the maximum tomorrow evening.
Before the Sundowns result at the weekend, Malesela spoke of how he might catch them cold tomorrow.
“Maybe it’s a good thing [that we play Sundowns now] because it could be that we are all still trying to find our feet,” Malesela said at the team’s press conference late last week.
“You don’t want to go to Sundowns and play them when they have had a lot of matches and the confidence is up.”
But the former Pirates and Sundowns defender will now know that Sundowns have their tails up heading into this vital clash.
“They will always have high quality players irrespective of who leaves and who stays. We just focus on them as a team and focus more on ourselves than the opponents.
“What happens with the opponents or what they are going to offer we will see on the day of the match and make adjustments as and when needed at relevant times or situations.”
The Chilli Boys are in ninth place on the log with 19 points from 15 games.