United in rush to move to new base in the Bay

[caption id="attachment_39217" align="alignright" width="250"] SIVIWE MPENGESI[/caption]

NEWLY promoted Premier Soccer League (PSL) team Chippa United are expected to set up house in Port Elizabeth at the end of this month.

The "Chilli Boys", as United are affectionally known, will play their first Absa Premiership league clash against Platinum Stars at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium on August 9, a day after the EP Kings play Western Province in their opening Absa Currie Cup Premier Division match.

United won the National First Division last season and were automatically promoted to the Premiership.

"The team have relocated to PE now and we will use Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium as our venue. We can't wait to play in front of the people of the Eastern Cape," United owner Siviwe "Chippa" Mpengesi said yesterday.

Chippa started their pre-season training in Cape Town on Monday, but the team will later travel to Gauteng to play friendly matches before the season begins next month.

Mpengesi said the Chilli Boys would use both the Wolfson Stadium in Kwazakhele and the Gelvandale Stadium as their bases for training sessions throughout the season.

"We will start using both facilities by the start of August, but we are hoping to lease Wolfson Stadium from the municipality because we want to use the venue permanently.

"We have submitted an application because our aim is to establish the team's academy sides there and hence we need a permanent training base."

Mpengesi said the team were looking at possibly playing some games outside Port Elizabeth, but that would be at most three games.

But nothing had been finalised.

The Eastern Cape has been looking to have a PSL team based in the province since Bay United, albeit after relegation, relocated to Polokwane and became Polokwane City. - Mthetho Ndoni