The battle lines are dawn once again and this time there has to be a winner.
When Mamelodi Sundowns and Chippa United battle it out in the second leg of the MTN8 semi-finals at the Lucas Moripe Stadium, there won’t be room for any slip ups. Their goalless first leg clash was a spectacle that left many satisfied though there were no goals. Goals are a must Wednesday night.
This clash will require Downs coach Pitso 'Jingles' Mosimane and his counterpart Dan 'Dance' Malesela to dig deep. Mosimane has a big decision to make as to whether he fields his strongest team or not. This Saturday, the Brazilians have a big clash against Zesco United in the second leg of the Caf Champions League semi-final. The continental tournament is by far the most appealing and prestigious for Mosimane, who is set to give it his all. He proved a tactical genius in Ndola at the weekend when he replaced left-back Tebogo Langerman with attacker Anthony Laffor. The move, which saw Keagan Dolly move to left-back, paid off with the Liberian providing the assist for Khama Billiat, whose goal halved the deficit against Zesco.
Stakes are very high and Mosimane would want to make the finals of both the Champions League and MTN8. He may not make many changes. Mosimane has always been confident in the fact that his men will get the goals. It remains to be seen if Downs will rise above their fixture congestion. Their fight back against Zesco is set to spur them on. On the domestic front Mosimane has the manpower with a number of players to pick from. However, the numbers are not that great in the Champions League as he lost close to eight players due to transfers, suspensions and injuries.
Malesela will have to devise a means that will aid his men in getting the win. Though Chippa play enterprising football comprising superior ball retention, seamless multi-passes and swift movements, the men from the Eastern Cape have a big challenge. They appear not to have a Plan-B when they come up against defensively organised teams. Their first leg clash against Sundowns and their league duel with SuperSport United can attest to this. Chippa had the lion’s share of possession in both matches but they just couldn’t topple the walls. Against Sundowns they had several attempts at goals. When they played SuperSport, Malesela’s men didn’t not have even a single shot at goal. Malesela is not a fan of players taking shots at goal. The former Orlando Pirates and Sundowns captain wants his players to be accurate and certain when attempting to score. This could be an impediment for Chippa.
It was clear that the Chilli Boys miss the services of their top striker Rulani Manzini, who is out injured. Before breaking his metatarsal, Manzini had scored three times in two matches.
However, goals and the lack thereof, ought not to be the only concern for Malesela. The defence is also problematic. They were breached on several occasions by SuperSport.
However, poor finishing by Matsatsantsa let them off the hook. Malesela knows they can’t afford to make the same mistakes against Sundowns.
Whoever gets his tactics right tonight, will come out tops. Chippa are well rested in comparison with Sundowns. Will the rested triumph over the tired or will the tried and tested prevail?
The Star