Chippa United head coach Thabo September was impressed with how his players executed their game plan in their goalless draw against Kaizer Chiefs at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium in Gqeberha on Saturday.
September said Chippa had got their tactics spot on against the Soweto giants despite little game time in recent weeks and fully deserved a point from the clash.
“We played well, especially in the first half,” he said.
“We anticipated what they would be doing, overloading inside. And Sirono [Gaston] and [Pule] Mmodi ... we handled that threat.
“We were caught by some balls which went over the fullback on the left and diagonal balls.
“We managed the game well for them not to come through the middle. It was part of our game plan.
“In the second half, we knew our legs were going to give us problems with not having played for two weeks.
“When Highbury [a Motsepe Foundation Championship team] is busy, we don’t play competitive games. We play in-house 11 vs 11 to create the intensity.
“So Chiefs were able to get some chances in the second half of the game.”
The result ensured Chippa did not slip full points in their bid to finish in the top eight.
The Chilli Boys are in ninth position on 30 points, one point adrift of Chiefs, who are eighth, and three points behind AmaZulu in seventh.
Before Saturday’s stalemate, Chiefs had beaten Chippa twice this season, and they again adopted the strategy of overloading the midfield in an attempt to break Chippa down by having more players fighting for possession in the middle of the park.
This tactic was meant to allow Chiefs to dominate possession, create more passing options, and potentially unlock opportunities to break through the defence.
Both sides created chances, but Amakhosi were the dominant side in the opening half of the clash, creating goalscoring opportunities, with players like Wandile Duba and skipper Yusuf Maart forcing saves from Chippa goalkeeper Stanley Nwabali.
The sides returned for the final stanza with improved game plans, but both goalkeepers — Nwabali and Bruce Bvuma of Chiefs — were superb, doing everything to protect their respective goal lines.
Bvuma produced a fine save on 63 minutes when he stopped a long-range shot by Giovanni Philander.
Nwabali denied Mmodi after the forward managed to get a one-on-one with the Nigerian international.
Chiefs mentor Nasreddine Nabi bemoaned missing several key players in the goalless draw.
Nabi said he had been forced to forge a new central defensive pairing of Edmilson Dove and Zitha Kwinika, who was playing only his second league game of the season.
Kwinika replaced Given Msimango, who, according to Nabi, has been carrying an injury for the last three months, so they had “managed” him against Chippa.
Reeve Frosler and Inacio Miguel are other players who have missed recent games due to injuries.
Rushwin Dortley, who started the season as one of the side’s best centrebacks, is also sidelined by a long-term injury and could return only next season.
Chippa United’s next game is on April 30, against Stellenbosch at the Danie Craven Stadium. — Additional reporting by Sihle Ndebele
Daily Dispatch
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