Difficult clashes ahead for Chippa
AFTER a two-week international break, Chippa United return to the grind this week with two tough, high-profile Premier Soccer League fixtures lined up.
First up, the Port Elizabeth side play former African Champions Mamelodi Sundowns, who are eyeing this season’s league trophy, at the Loftus Versfeld Stadium in Pretoria tomorrow night.
Next, the Chilli Boys travel to the FNB Stadium in Johannesburg to face Soweto giants Kaizer Chiefs on Saturday.
With a top eight mandate in mind this season, Chippa will have to return home with positive results if they are to steer clear of the danger zone.
Chippa are ninth on the log with 30 points from 24 matches and are only six points away from the playoffs zone.
Coach Vladislav Heric went into the break with a three-point boost after beating Free State Stars 1-0 in a return match.
The win was Heric’s first victory at the club since taking over from Teboho Moloi.
Although their match against Sundowns will not be a walk in the park, the Serbian coach will be hoping to build on his winning momentum.
The match will also be a good test of how the players have responded to Heric’s style of playing since he has had more time to work with them now.
Meanwhile, the Brazilians have had only two days to recover after a hard-fought 2-1 win over Cape Town City.
The victory saw Pitso Mosimane’s troops book themselves a spot in the Nedbank Cup semifinals. As the league draws to an end Sundowns need to collect as many points as they can if they want to put their hands on the PSL trophy this season.
This means tomorrow night’s match against the unpredictable Chippa is a must win.
The Tshwane side are leading the log by a point from secondplaced Orlando Pirates, who are also chasing league honours.
Heric will be happy to welcome back club captain and key defender James Okwuosa from suspension.
Okwuosa will play a crucial role in ensuring Chippa’s defence is kept tight.