It’s going to be an acidic test for two of the country’s best teams at the moment when they battle it out for glory this weekend.
In terms of results Mamelodi Sundowns are the best team in the country but when it comes to the style of football Chippa United take the crown. The Brazilians and the Chilli Boys will clash in a high octane MTN8 semi-final first leg at the Nelson Mandela Stadium in Port Elizabeth on Sunday afternoon.
It’s not often that Sundowns, the current Absa Premiership champions, get bossed around on the pitch. In the league, Sundowns reduced all and sundry to second place but it remains to be seen if they can do the same to rejuvenated Chippa who are dominating with their enterprising football.
Sundowns coach Pitso Mosimane has already conceded that his counterpart Dan Malesela’s charges will dominate proceedings on the pitch.
Chippa prefer to dominate play with high ball retention, short and crisp passes, good movements and pressing game. Sundowns, on the other hand, like to play at high tempo with blistering pace from the wings where Khama Billiat and Keagan Dolly operate.
Chippa’s Rhulani Manzini, a beneficiary of great passes from skillful midfielders, has found the back of the net three times in two matches so far this season. He is set to spearhead Chippa attack with Thembinkosi Lorch, Vuyani Sali, and Andile Mbenyani supporting him. This could cause trouble for Sundowns whose defender Wayne Arendse, pictured, says they are aware of what awaits them in PE.
“It’s going to be exciting. I expect a very passing game from Chippa because under coach Dan they like to pass the ball around with combination passes. It’s going to be a very tactical game where one slip can cost you and one goal can win the game,” said Arendse.
“Tactics and all sorts of things will come to play but at the end of the day it’s a matter of who takes their chances the most. They have been scoring goals so we need to switch on defensively.”
Sunday will kick start a torrid schedule that will see Sundowns players living between hotels and airports.
Three days later they will be in Maritzburg for their maiden Absa Premiership encounter of the 2016/17 season and after that they head to Ndola, Zambia for a CAF Champions League semi-final first leg tie against Zesco United on Saturday. Sundowns tried in vain to get the PSL to postpone their Maritzburg fixture and so Arendse and his teammates have to soldier on.
“We put ourselves in this situation. We are in semifinals of MTN8, semi-finals of CAF Champions League and we also have the league. If you ask the other clubs who of them wants to be in this situation, I think all hands will go up. It’s good for us to be here and for us as players we need to step up. There’s no-one who is fatigued. That’s not in our vocabulary. At the end of the day it is our job. Everybody goes to work and that’s what we are here to do,” said Arendse.
What Sundowns have to do on Sunday is stop a side that has dominated the likes of Orlando Pirates, Kaizer Chiefs and Platinum Stars. It’s a game that is sure to bring the best out of not only players but also their coaches. Malesela would want the honour of emerging victorious over the big three while Mosimane will want to be the only coach not to succumb to Chippa's magic.
The Star