Chippa face determined Downs for place in TKO semis

Chippa United will look to cause a Telkom Knockout quarterfinal upset with victory over Mamelodi Sundowns when the teams meet at Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium in Port Elizabeth on Sunday afternoon.

Kick-off is at 3pm CAT.

Chippa picked up their only win of the season so far when they defeated Bloemfontein Celtic 1-0 in the previous round of the TKO, but they slumped back to losing form in their last outing, going down 1-0 away to Highlands Park in a league clash last weekend.

The Chilli Boys are participating in the TKO for the seventh time and this is only the second time they have gotten past the last 16 (the first was in 2017, when they reached the quarterfinals). Last year they were beaten 1-0 at home by Orlando Pirates in the opening round.

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— SuperSport ???? (@SuperSportTV) November 1, 2019

Head coach Norman Mapeza's obvious worry has been the club's struggles in the league this season, but he will still be hoping for a positive result in the TKO this weekend as he aims to build the players confidence.

“As for us as a club, we are taking this tournament very seriously," said Mapeza.

“Everybody knows our position on the log but now our focus is more on the Telkom Knockout Cup.We really want to push and see how far we will go."

Sundowns put in the top performance of the last 16 round, as they thrashed AmaZulu 5-0. However, the Tshwane giants were brought back to earth in their next outing, suffering a 2-0 home defeat at the hands of Kaizer Chiefs in a league clash last weekend.

The Brazilians are three-time champions in the Telkom Knockout, with their most recent triumph arriving in 2015. Last year they suffered a surprise defeat in the quarterfinals at the hands of eventual competition winners Baroka FC.

Sundowns head coach Pitso Mosimane will be eager for his club to bounce back to winning ways as they set their sights on more silverware.

"This trophy is important for a few reasons. It’s for our supporters, to create confidence in the club and to win a trophy," Mosimane said about the TKO.

"We run a very ambitious and sophisticated programme and it’s influenced by our targets. We have sleepless nights and there is pressure to analyse the games that are coming.

"In football there’s nothing like luck, when you coach a team like Mamelodi Sundowns your social life is zero. There’s more heat at Sundowns."

STAR PLAYERS TO WATCH

Chippa United

Lehlogonolo Masalesa: The former Orlando Pirates midfielder has impressed for the Chilli Boys over the last week and scored the winner for the club in the round of 16. He will be key in breaking down a deadly Brazilians attack and adding valuable cover in front of the defensive line. Furthermore, Masalesa will hoping to provide valuable go forward ball for the hosts who will have to make good of the chances they create.

Patrick Tignyemb: The experienced shot-stopper will play an integral role, not only on the pitch, but also in the changing room as the Chilli Boys aim to re-build from a poor start to the season. Tignyemb could be in for a very busy afternoon and if called upon he will need to be at his very best as Chippa eye a cup upset.

Mamelodi Sundowns

Tebogo Langerman: The Sundowns fullback plays more like a winger for much of the match with his overlapping runs key to how the Brazilians play. His pace in getting back to help in defence is also an important reason as the why he is such an effective player for the league holders. Against a Chippa side who will be very compact, Langerman will be key in breaking down the hosts.

Gaston Sirino: On his day, the Uruguayan is arguably the best player in the Premier Soccer League at present time. Not only does he find the back of the net regularly, but he is the creative spark that leads Sundowns to victories week-in-week-out. Following a below par performance in defeat to Chiefs last weekend, Sirino will be eager to return to form with a star performance in PE.

HEAD-TO-HEAD

Previous cup meetings

Season Cup Result Scorers

2015/16 Telkom KO, last 16 Sundowns 2-0 Chippa Dolly, Kekana
2016/17 MTN8, semi, 1st leg Chippa 0-0 Sundowns
2016/17 MTN8, semi, 2nd leg Sundowns 1-0 Chippa Laffor
2017/18 Telkom KO, last 16 Chippa 1-0 Sundowns Julies
2018/19 Nedbank Cup, last 32 Chippa 2-1 Sundowns R. Manzini, Nsabiyumva; Mahlambi

Last 10 league results

Season Result Scorers

2014/15 Sundowns 3-0 Chippa Sambu (og), Modise (pen), Ramagalela
2015/16 Chippa 0-1 Sundowns Laffor
2015/16 Sundowns 3-0 Chippa Castro, Modise, Billiat
2016/17 Chippa 1-1 Sundowns R. Manzini (pen); Arendse
2016/17 Sundowns 0-0 Chippa
2017/18 Chippa 0-0 Sundowns
2017/18 Sundowns 2-0 Chippa Tau, Billiat
2018/19 Chippa 0-1 Sundowns Sirino
2018/19 Sundowns 3-2 Chippa Kekana, Vilakazi, Sirino; Mayambela, R. Manzini
2019/20 Chippa 1-1 Sundowns Maphangule; Maboe

Cup record

P W D L GF GA

Chippa 5 2 1 2 3 4
Sundowns 5 2 1 2 4 3

Overall record (all competitions)

P W D L GF GA

Chippa 18 2 7 9 9 22
Sundowns 18 9 7 2 22 9