JOHANNESBURG - Just like the mineral he shares his name with, pressure brings out the best in Diamond Thopola. In terms of pressure, it doesn’t get more intense than facing the African champions, Mamelodi Sundowns, right after their 6-0 demolition of Orlando Pirates to send a strong message about their ambitions to retain the PSL they won after blowing away the competition last year.
Chippa United were no exception last season as Sundowns blew away everyone in their path. The Brazilians won both league encounters with Chippa last season, even though the Chilli Boys dominated possession. Their clashes with Sundowns highlighted the club’s problems, they dominate possession but struggle to make it count.
“We play a good brand of entertaining football, but we haven’t been scoring enough and we tend to concede silly goals,” Thopola said. “We worked on that during the break and I hope it will show in the second round. We need to start scoring often and be solid at the back. We made some good additions to the team, but we also lost quality players who were regulars in the team.
“After losing James Okwuosa, getting Justice Chabalala was a good addition. They are pretty much similar. Chabalala has his good qualities. He has added value into the team.”
The return of Rhulani Manzini must have felt like a new signing for the Port Elizabeth-based side. The burly striker returned after a lengthy injury lay-off to score in optional time and help the Chilli Boys start the year on a winning note against Baroka FC with a 2-1 victory last Tuesday. Manzini will look to lead Chippa upfront against a free-scoring Sundowns team that lacks pace in central defence. But Sundowns make up for that by punishing their opponents with goals.
Thopola and company will need to be alert tonight to stop Sundowns’ rampant attack at Sisa Dukashe Stadium in East London. Coach Pitso Mosimane will tinker with his squad a bit because the Brazilians have Caf Super Cup commitments on Saturday in Pretoria against TP Mazembe. After the departure of Okwuosa and March van Heerden, to join Pirates, Thopola has to lead the club at the back while the new faces get familiar with the setup.
It was nothing new to him. Thopola captained Thanda Royal Zulu in the first division before he joined the Chilli Boys. He quickly adjusted to the demands of the PSL in the last campaign, hardly showing that it was his debut season. The 26-year-old is one of the best right backs in the country, solid at the back and a threat going forward. He came up with the assist in the win over Baroka FC, supplying Thamsanqa Sagweni who did the rest. His performances at Chippa saw him earn his first Bafana Bafana call-up last year.
“It came as a surprise because I wasn’t expecting it,” Thopola said.
“It was my first season in the PSL. I was a new kid on the block who was trying to make a name for himself. It showed that I was doing something good and that people were watching. It motivated me to take my game to the next level because I got through the first step of having the Bafana Bafana coach notice me. I am still new in the national team setup. I need to get familiar with it. Getting a chance to play will help me grow and gain the experience that I need.”