Chippa, Malesela aim to shoot down Rockets

TS Galaxy and Chippa United will meet for what could be considered an early 2020-21 DStv Premiership relegation six-pointer at Mbombela Stadium in Nelspruit on Saturday.

Kick-off is at 3:30pm CAT (SA, GMT+2).

Galaxy come into the game on the back of a 3-0 loss at home to SuperSport United on 9 January, a result which extended their winless run in the league to eight matches. The Rockets have claimed just three points from five away matches this season, with their last result on the road a 3-2 loss at Cape Town City at the end of 2020.

The match will be Owen da Gama's first in charge of the club following his appointment earlier this week and veteran defender Bevan Fransman is happy to be working with his former Highlands Park boss once again.

“We have to play with the right attitude. We have to play as a solid unit," said Fransman in the build-up to this weekend's fixture. "The effort in the field of play has to be there.

“It is a familiar feeling. Not much time has passed since we have been together. It is a common feeling. We’ve worked together in the past two years. I know what he [Da Gama] is expecting."

The match also comes a few weeks after Dan Malesela was sacked by Galaxy and subsequently took over the reins at Chippa, but Fransman dismissed any questions of animosity between the two parties.

“It is not emotional for me at all. Three points remains the same. There’s no bonus point. We are still playing for the same three points and there’s still a job to be done,” Fransman concluded.

Chippa have gone seven league games without a win after they were beaten 1-0 at Golden Arrows on 9 January. United have taken just two points from the last 21 up for grabs. The Chilli Boys have also claimed just two points from seven away matches this season. The Eastern Cape side will be playing on the road for a sixth successive time in this clash.

Malesela is back with the Chilli Boys for his fourth stint at the club after being let go by Galaxy just before Christmas last year, but he too has dismissed any suggestions of this weekend's tussle being a 'grudge match'.

"I hate this thing about grudge matches, I don't have any issue with Galaxy," said Malesela. "I just want to do my job here and get the desired results here. I am not one that holds grudges. I can be disappointed at a particular time, but in a short space of time I recover.

"I was coaching Galaxy for a while, there are a lot of expectations from people that will want me to win against Galaxy and others that will want the opposite. It is not about me, it is about what the team must achieve and it is a difficult game as it is. Both teams find themselves at the wrong end of the standings and there is pressure on both teams to win."

In head-to-head stats, this will be the first top-flight league meeting between Chippa United and TS Galaxy. However, the Chilli Boys defeated the Rockets 3-0 in a Nedbank Cup match in February 2020.

PLAYERS TO WATCH: TS GALAXY

Lindokuhle Mbatha: Without the services of both Shaune Mogaila and Ethan Brooks through injury this week, Galaxy will need to fill a creative void down the left flank and Mbatha is most likely to be recalled back to the starting 11. Galaxy have scored a joint-low seven league goals this season and will be looking at players like Mbatha to try and solve their problems in front of goal.

Bevan Fransman: The veteran defender is still going strong at the age of 37 and would've put his late penalty miss against SuperSport United behind him, as focus now shifts to an important fixture for the club. Having worked with Owen da Gama in the past, he will know exactly what is expected from him and his teammates and will be key in relaying the coach's message.

PLAYERS TO WATCH: CHIPPA UNITED

Frederic Nsabiyumva: The Chilli Boys are yet to keep a single clean sheet in the league this season. In Isaac Nhlapo and Nsabiyumva, Chippa have two experienced defenders that will be eager to change all that away to a Galaxy side that have struggled to score this season.

Augustine Kwem: Since taking over the captain's armband at the start of December, Kwem has yet to find the back of the net. The Nigerian forward will be eager to score his first goal since late November, as Chippa also aim to find the back of the net more regularly.