Matsatsantsa looking to get back to winning ways | SuperSport
football18 April 2024 16:30| © Backpage TXT
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SuperSport united players @ Gallo Images
SuperSport United head coach Gavin Hunt is convinced they will finish the season strongly as they prepare for the visit of Chippa United to the Lucas Masterpieces Moripe Stadium on Saturday, 20 April.
Kick-off is at 8pm CAT (SA, GMT+2)
CURRENT FORM
Matsatsantsa have struggled to get going this year and find themselves five points shy of the final CAF Champions League berth in fifth place after failing to win any of their seven games since the mid-season break.
Hunt's side have only lost once during that period though, although six draws have hardly helped their cause to qualify for Africa's elite club competition.
The Tshwane giants bounced back from a 1-0 defeat to TS Galaxy on 6 April as they battled back from behind to rescue a 1-1 draw with Polokwane City in midweek, but they haven't won in the league for four months now.
The Chilli Boys are making strides under Thabo September and Kwanele Kopo, winning three of their last five encounters and only losing twice since the duo took charge at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium.
Chippa have been formidable at home, but they've found results harder to come by on the road, losing four of their five away games.
The Eastern Cape outfit will be buoyed by their recent performances, however, after claiming back-to-back 2-0 wins against Cape Town Spurs and Kaizer Chiefs to close within one point of the top eight in 10th position.
WHAT WAS SAID
SuperSport United head coach Gavin Hunt
"Yeah, we'll finish well, we still have seven games left. We've still got a lot of games left, we'll finish well, guaranteed.
"I think we're doing brilliantly, we had a bad game on Saturday (a 4-0 defeat to Stellenbosch in the Nedbank Cup quarterfinals), but before that, I think we did very well with this squad of players.
"Young players have got to come in and they have to learn on the job so I think we've done really well."
Chippa United co-coach Thabo September
"The mentality needs to be right and that has been good, we worked on the mentality and the players responded well.
"I'm proud of the players with what they have done, we are scoring goals and I think at home we scored eight goals in four games.
"That is a good turnaround with three clean sheets and conceding only one that is something we are proud of and we want to keep it like that towards the end of the season."
PLAYERS TO WATCH
SuperSport United - Bradley Grobler will be looking to make an impact against the Chilli Boys after he had to be sacrificed in the clash with Rise And Shine following the dismissal of Ricardo Goss in the 32nd minute.
The 36-year-old striker is still in the mix for the Golden Boot with eight goals this term, which places him just three behind top scorer Lucas Ribeiro.
Chippa United - Bienvenu Eva Nga is slowly starting to find his feet after returning to the club in January following an unhappy 18-month spell at Orlando Pirates.
The 31-year-old Cameroonian striker bagged his first league goal in the triumph over Chiefs and scored twice in the Nedbank Cup to help the Chilli Boys reach the semifinals.
HEAD-TO-HEAD (Last five DStv Premiership meetings)
Matches - 5
SuperSport wins - 0
Chippa wins - 1
Draws - 4
