MTN8 qualification will be high on the priority list when Chippa United tackle Mamelodi Sundowns at the Buffalo City Stadium in East London on Wednesday (7.30pm).
The Gqeberha side are determined to bounce back from their three consecutive defeats in the Betway Premiership when they play Sundowns just seven days after a heavy 3-0 defeat against the Brazilians in their last league fixture.
Before that, Chippa lost 1-0 to Stellenbosch and 2-0 to SuperSport United.
Despite the setbacks, the Chilli Boys remain in eighth place on the log, but are under pressure from Kaizer Chiefs, Marumo Gallants, Richards Bay and Magesi, who are snapping at their heels.
The last time the team enjoyed a top-eight finish was nine years ago under coach Dan “Dance” Malesela, when they finished sixth on the log.
They went on to reach the semifinals of the MTN8 that season but lost to Sundowns.
Since then, they have been battling relegation more often than not.
Chippa head coach Thabo September said his players were well prepared for Wednesday’s crucial encounter.
He said the players were aware there was a lot at stake, and losing the game could see them miss out on a top-eight finish at the end of the season.
September will be relying on Nigerian goalkeeper Stanley Nwabali to keep a solid defensive line and deny Sundowns any goalscoring opportunities on Wednesday.
The game was initially scheduled to take place at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium but was moved to the Buffalo City Stadium last week, after it was said that the Gqeberha facility was not available due to a political rally taking place on Saturday.
Meanwhile, Sundowns coach Miguel Cardoso has implied he feels the work he has done at the club since joining in December is not appreciated enough externally.
“It’s important that people recognise what we’ve done and what we’ve been doing in this league.
“We took the team to a high, high level. The team isn’t only playing fantastically but beating record after record,'' Cardoso said after their 3-0 thumping of Stellenbosch at the Lucas Moripe Stadium in Pretoria on Sunday.
“Let’s give credit to who deserves it because when I arrived, there was suspicion, and now please just respect the work we’ve been doing.”
Cardoso agreed that his predecessor, Manqoba Mngqithi, also deserved a share of the credit, revealing he had paid homage to him in person when Sundowns played his new team, Golden Arrows, in Durban in March.
“People are saying I arrived in the middle of the season. No, I didn’t arrive in the middle of the season.
“I arrived with only one third of the season played, so with all due respect to coach Manqoba and the work he did, that was important obviously.
“It’s clear for everybody to see where we were and where we stand now,” Cardoso said.
“Obviously, it was important to pick the team from the [top] position they were, and that’s the credit I give to him [Mngqithi] and I told him personally when we played him.”
Cardoso has won 16 of the 19 league games he’s been in charge of at Sundowns after replacing Mngqithi seven games into the Premiership campaign, with two defeats and a single draw.
The Portuguese coach is leading the Tshwane giants to their eighth successive championship, while they are also in the CAF Champions League final, where they will face Pyramids of Egypt over two legs. — Additional reporting by Sihle Ndebele
The Herald
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