Thabo September feels Chippa United still have a chance for a top-eight finish even if they have a tough programme left as they head towards the end of the Betway Premiership season.
A goalless draw with Kaizer Chiefs at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium on Saturday left them one point behind AmaKhosi in ninth place in the standings and with tough away games to come against Stellenbosch, SuperSport United and Marumo Gallants before they finish the season on May 24 at home to defending champions Mamelodi Sundowns.
“We are hopeful, and we believe that now that we've reached that 30-point mark, anything is possible,” said the Chippa coach.
“Chiefs is in the top eight at the moment but with the situation in the league right now with Royal AM, it could take us higher than Chiefs.”
If Royal AM’s results are expunged, as is likely to happen once the Premier Soccer League settles the issue, Chiefs will lose a point and Chippa go above them on goal difference into eighth place,”
September was pleased with Chippa’s showing against Chiefs.
“I think we played well, especially in the first half. We anticipated what they would be doing, overloading the left side to (Gaston) Sirino and (Pule) Mmodi. We handled that thread,” said the Chippa coach
“There were moments when we were caught with some balls going over the full back on the left from diagonal balls, but managing the game for them not to come through the middle was part of our game plan and we did that very well.
“In the second half I think we knew the legs might go. We haven't played for two weeks and so we went back a little bit in the second half.
“Chiefs managed to get some spaces where they can play, but they still played in the areas that we wanted them to play in and we managed that part as well,” September added.
Chippa are competing in a 12th top flight season but in their 11 previous campaigns they have finished in the top eight only once, back in 2016 when they were sixth.