Chippa hold SuperSport to 1-1 draw
CHIPPA United secured another point in an away game under their new caretaker coach by holding big guns SuperSport United to a 1-1 draw in an Absa Premier Soccer League match in Pretoria last night.
The Chilli Boys will be far happier with the result as coach Tebeho Moloi secured a second successive draw since taking over from sacked Dan Malesela.
With the draw, SuperSport missed out on a morale-boosting victory ahead of Saturday’s African Confederation Cup encounter in Zambia.
SuperSport, held goalless by Zesco United in the first leg on Friday, must now pick themselves up for the second leg in Ndola with their backs to the wall after failing to score at home.
Coach Eric Tinkler rested regulars like Clayton Daniels, Bradley Grobler and Reneilwe Letsholonyane and gave a full debut to exciting young midfielder Sipho Mbule as the coach tinkered with the team ahead of the second leg of their quarterfinal tie.
It made no real difference to the home side’s dominance at the start of the game against the struggling Chippa as Kingstone Nkhatha and Morgan Gould might have scored first before Siyabonga Nhlapo put SuperSport in the lead in the 28th minute.
A corner was cleared straight to Nhlapo in the penalty area and he hammered it home on a full volley for his first goal in five years.
Chippa United, who drew 0-0 at Platinum Stars on Saturday, were largely on the back foot.
But when Mbule lost possession in the middle in the last minute of the first half, the Port Elizabeth side set about a counter attack, with Kurt Lentjies delivering a cross and Mpho Mvelase heading the ball back to Moeketsi Sekola, whose shot took a deflection on the way into the net.
Chippa came out and dominated the second half with confidence from the goal, but neither side were able to create any decent chances.
ý Orlando Pirates did not control all of their premier league encounter against Cape Town City last night, but finished strongly enough to have felt they deserved their 1-0 victory at the FNB Stadium.
Bucs coach Milutin Sredojovic read the game well, and his substitutions worked for him.
The second-half introduction of Thabiso Kutumela and Lyle Foster’s brought an injection of pace to Pirates’ pressing and counter-attacks.
It seemed telling that both played a role in an exquisite counter that led to the lone goal by Thabo Qalinge in the 82nd minute of the match.
City have notched some impressive wins playing poaching football, which was the ultimate hallmark of coach Benni McCarthy’s career as a striker.
They had chances last night to sneak in and nab a victory.
Ultimately, Orlando Pirates contained their visitors, then found the key to unlock them too.
ý In the other match, Free State Stars beat Polokwane City 3-2. – Additional reporting by Marc Strydom