Chippa dash Pirates’ hopes of second spot
Clash ends in goalless draw
Orlando Pirates’ dream of finishing in second place in the DStv Premiership standings hit another snag after a goalless draw against Chippa United at Orlando Stadium on Wednesday.
While the draw did not help Pirates’ cause, it’s a crucial away point for Chippa, who are in a relegation battle. Chippa keeper Lloyd Kazapua pulled off a top-drawer save to deny Thembinkosi Lorch in a oneon-one situation in what was the match’s best chance of a goal in the 76th minute.
Pirates decided to keep the same starting line-up that inspired them to the CAF Confederation Cup semifinals at the expense of Tanzanian giants Simba at the same venue last Sunday.
Like they did against Simba, Linda Mntambo replaced Abel Mabaso after the halftime hiatus.
The visitors looked rather rusty and lacked a sense of urgency whenever they were attacking. Pirates looked convincing on the ball but their off-the-ball work was not as impressive with spacing between some of the players upfront an issue.
Another Chippa undoing was that their central midfielders Sphesihle Mkhize and Sammy Seabi focused more on defending and hardly added numbers when Chippa surged forward.
The pair’s defensive approach left a hole in the engine room, allowing Pirates’ Mabaso and Fortune Makaringe to dictate terms.
Sturdy Chippa striker and leading scorer Bienvenu Eva Nga tried to use his physique to bulldoze his way through but Olisa Ndah’s tactical awareness made things difficult for him.
Ndah would be replaced by skipper Happy Jele early in the second half, after sustaining what looked like a groin strain.
Makaringe and Mabaso, before being withdrawn, played a number of diagonal balls, inviting players like Deon Hotto and Lorch on the flanks to run onto those balls.
The pair managed to whip in a few crosses but their isolated striker, Kwame Peprah, who would later make way for Tshegofatso Mabasa, could not connect with those crosses in most cases.