Chippa United have shifted their focus back to the Absa Premiership as their fairytale run in the Nedbank Cup came to an end on Saturday.
The Chilli Boys were knocked out of the tournament by defending champions, SuperSport United, at Mdantsane’s Sisa Dukashe stadium.
SuperSport needed penalties (4-2) to keep afloat their quest to become the first team to successfully defend the Ke Yona cup, when the semifinal ended goalless after 120 minutes of play.
Chippa coach Dan “Dance” Malesela will now have to prepare for one of the club’s biggest games of the season as they take on fellow relegation-threatened Free State Stars at Goble Park Stadium on Saturday.
The Chilli Boys need just a single point to retain their PSL status.
Malesela said after the game that all the attention will be focused on the crucial enncounter against the team known as “Ea Lla Koto”.
“That is very crucial . I don’t want to say this game is probably a blessing in disguise because there is no blessing when we lose.
“We have time to prepare for the game, we have time to rest, probably give the players off until Tuesday and we start preparing for Free State Stars,” he said.
Should Chippa not have any injuries during the week, Malesela will likely start with the same team that played against Matsatsantsa in the league on Wednesday last week and the past weekend’s Cup semifinal.
He will look for continuity, something that he has not had the luxury of having throughout the season – with players either out with injuries or suspended.
Asked if he had any serious concerns travelling to Free State Stars, Malesela said having concerns would not help them survive the axe hovering over them.
“Whether I'm concerned or not is not going to help. We have to go to . It’s not up to me to decide whether we should be concerned or not, we have to go there.
“You have to go there and do the job,” he said.
Both Chippa and Stars are tied on 27 points going into the last game of the season, but Chilli Boys are ahead of them in 13th place – because of their superior goal difference.
Both sides need just a point to avoid automatic relegation, while basement-dwellers in the PSL, Baroka FC and 15th-placed Highlands Park would have to do something they have struggled to do for most of the season – score many goals.
This is highly unlikely, as their opponents Ajax Cape Town and Mamelodi Sundowns, respectively, will not be a walk in the park.
Malesela said he had hoped to lead the team to its first cup final.
While he failed to achieve that, the Port Elizabeth-based outfit still made history by reaching the last four of the Nedbank Cup.
“I had high hopes that we will reach the finals, you know, with what we were doing during the week, the preparations and the mood in the camp. Ja, I’m just a bit disappointed, but not disappointed with what the players did.
“I'm quite pleased with how they fought, with how they played. We probably could have decided better in front of goals because I think one goal would have decided this game,” he said. Chippa will receive R1-million for being knocked out.
Chippa’s focus on PSL survival
The Chilli Boys were knocked out of the tournament by defending champions, SuperSport United, at Mdantsane’s Sisa Dukashe stadium.
SuperSport needed penalties (4-2) to keep afloat their quest to become the first team to successfully defend the Ke Yona cup, when the semifinal ended goalless after 120 minutes of play.
Chippa coach Dan “Dance” Malesela will now have to prepare for one of the club’s biggest games of the season as they take on fellow relegation-threatened Free State Stars at Goble Park Stadium on Saturday.
The Chilli Boys need just a single point to retain their PSL status.
Malesela said after the game that all the attention will be focused on the crucial enncounter against the team known as “Ea Lla Koto”.
“That is very crucial . I don’t want to say this game is probably a blessing in disguise because there is no blessing when we lose.
“We have time to prepare for the game, we have time to rest, probably give the players off until Tuesday and we start preparing for Free State Stars,” he said.
Should Chippa not have any injuries during the week, Malesela will likely start with the same team that played against Matsatsantsa in the league on Wednesday last week and the past weekend’s Cup semifinal.
He will look for continuity, something that he has not had the luxury of having throughout the season – with players either out with injuries or suspended.
Asked if he had any serious concerns travelling to Free State Stars, Malesela said having concerns would not help them survive the axe hovering over them.
“Whether I'm concerned or not is not going to help. We have to go to . It’s not up to me to decide whether we should be concerned or not, we have to go there.
“You have to go there and do the job,” he said.
Both Chippa and Stars are tied on 27 points going into the last game of the season, but Chilli Boys are ahead of them in 13th place – because of their superior goal difference.
Both sides need just a point to avoid automatic relegation, while basement-dwellers in the PSL, Baroka FC and 15th-placed Highlands Park would have to do something they have struggled to do for most of the season – score many goals.
This is highly unlikely, as their opponents Ajax Cape Town and Mamelodi Sundowns, respectively, will not be a walk in the park.
Malesela said he had hoped to lead the team to its first cup final.
While he failed to achieve that, the Port Elizabeth-based outfit still made history by reaching the last four of the Nedbank Cup.
“I had high hopes that we will reach the finals, you know, with what we were doing during the week, the preparations and the mood in the camp. Ja, I’m just a bit disappointed, but not disappointed with what the players did.
“I'm quite pleased with how they fought, with how they played. We probably could have decided better in front of goals because I think one goal would have decided this game,” he said. Chippa will receive R1-million for being knocked out.
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