Chippa chasing maximum points against Celtic

In a bid to keep their top eight dream alive, Chippa United head coach Vladislav Heric will be hunting maximum points in tonight’s Absa Premiership match away to Bloemfontein Celtic, at the Dr Molemela Stadium in Bloemfontein (7.30pm).

The Port Elizabeth side are seventh on the log with 34 points from 27 games.

They are level on points with Siwelele, who are eighth, but Chippa are ahead on goal difference.

The last time the Chilli Boys finished in the top half of the log was under coach Dan Malesela in 2015-16 when they were sixth.

Tonight’s encounter will not be an easy one as both sides want to cement their position in the top eight, with only two matches remaining in the season after tonight.

Heric attributed his team’s 1-1 stalemate against Ajax Cape Town in the team’s previous league match to fatigue and said his players were not well enough rested from their hard-fought 3-0 victory over Soweto giants Kaizer Chiefs.

After the draw, the coach said he would give his players some time off.
“The players had not recovered properly from their win over Chiefs. So, I will rest them now to prepare for Bloemfontein Celtic.

“I will try to get three points there because we lost two points against Ajax,” the former Bay United coach said.

With more than a week’s break from action due to the Nedbank Cup semifinals, the Chilli Boys should be in prime condition and ready for yet another intense performance.

The teams played to a goalless draw when they met during the first leg of the season.

Meanwhile, the Bloemfontein side’s winless run has seen them slip down the log.

The last time Celtic tasted victory was when they beat relegation-threatened Platinum Stars 1-0 last month.

They have gone three matches without a win, their latest result being a 1-1 draw against Free State Stars.