Chippa United are cooking up a surprise or two for Mamelodi Sundowns in their pivotal Betway Premiership clash on Friday night, as the team battle to stay afloat in the league.
Chilli Boys head coach Vusumuzi Vilakazi is hoping to return with at least one point from their clash with the Brazilians at the Loftus Versfeld Stadium in Pretoria (7.30pm).
The fixture was initially scheduled for April 28, but was brought forward at Sundowns’ request.
Earlier this season, the two teams battled to a goalless draw at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium.
“Our preparations for the Sundowns game have gone very well,” Vilakazi said.
“When we play big teams, players do not need to be motivated, which is a benefit for us as a technical team.
“So, maybe we’ll go and surprise people because everyone expects us to donate points.
“But we’re in a desperate situation, and every player understands that a point or three points will do for us.
“So, we’ll go there, dig deep, and do our absolute best.”
The Chilli Boys have 20 points from 22 games, placing them 13th on the log.
They are only two points away from the relegation play-off spot and six points away from the automatic relegation zone.
The Gqeberha-based side dropped crucial points in their previous three league fixtures, losing 3-1 to Marumo Gallants, drawing with relegation-threatened Magesi FC and, most recently, losing to Stellenbosch FC 2-1.
Sundowns are in second place in the standings going into the match, one point behind Orlando Pirates, who lead the log with 51 points but having played an extra game.
“We’ve recently been working on our defensive structure,” Vilakazi said.
“Our defensive structure was not ideal, and we’ve conceded goals in the last three games after keeping six or seven clean sheets.
“So we need to align our defensive structure because football, unfortunately, has a short blanket.
“If you don’t pay attention to the other aspects, you risk being exposed.
“Perhaps we were more focused on our offensive play, and we suffered greatly defensively in our last three games.”
After returning from Pretoria, the Chilli Boys will play Siwelele at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium on Tuesday.
Vilakazi said he would field his best team in both matches.
“In terms of fitness, the players are in good shape and can manage, but they will undoubtedly need more time to recover after the Sundowns game.”
This weekend’s fixtures are:
Betway Premiership
Friday: Mamelodi Sundowns vs Chippa United, Loftus Versfeld (7.30pm)
Monday: Orbit College vs Kaizer Chiefs, Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium (3pm); AmaZulu vs Sekhukhune, Princess Magogo Stadium (5.30pm)
Nedbank Cup semifinals
Saturday: Durban City vs Casric Stars, Chatsworth Stadium (3pm)
Sunday: TS Galaxy vs Milford FC, Solomon Mahlangu Stadium (3pm)
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