September Warns “Wounded Lion” Pirates, Plus Hunt Tribute
Chippa United coach Thabo September cautioned against underestimating Orlando Pirates, stating, “A wounded lion is always dangerous,” when asked if he intended to capitalize on Pirates’ recent setback.
Pirates suffered a 2-0 defeat to Marumo Gallants in the Betway Premiership match at Toyota Stadium on Saturday, leaving them reeling. However, they will be eager to recover when they face Chippa United at Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium on Wednesday (19:30).
Despite their recent loss, Pirates have a strong record against Chippa United in the Eastern Cape, having not lost an away match since the 2015/16 season when Chippa was coached by Dan Malesela.
“We aim to play attractive, winning football, unlike our performance against Richards Bay [where we drew on Saturday],” said September. “While the outcome is uncertain, we look forward to playing Pirates at home and entertaining our supporters. Whether they are wounded or not, we have to play the game.”
Pirates won the first leg 2-1 at Orlando Stadium in September. They also met three times last season, with Pirates securing four points. They drew 1-1 away before Pirates won 2-0 at home. Pirates also defeated Chippa 3-1 in the Nedbank Cup semi-final, en route to winning the competition against Mamelodi Sundowns in June.
Meanwhile, September paid tribute to his former coach, Gavin Hunt, who celebrated his 1000th match in the PSL top flight against Golden Arrows. However, the game was abandoned due to a power outage in Pretoria.
During his time with SuperSport United under Hunt’s first tenure, September won three league titles and the Nedbank Cup in the 2011/12 season. He notably scored in the Nedbank Cup final against Mamelodi Sundowns at Orlando Stadium, the home venue of their opponents on Wednesday – Pirates.
“Big, big, big impact in football, big impact in terms of promoting players,” said September.
“Today, we are talking about Benni McCarthys of this world, Ronwen Williams and stuff. That’s how he has developed in terms of football and it is good to see an old coach adapting on changes into modern game as well.
“I know the Gavin that played direct football. I see a different SuperSport now in terms of playing good football in terms of combination with Siphesihle Ndlovu.
“Gavin can coach anywhere. To get a 1000, four league titles, it’s not easy in this country. You must work at Sundowns if you want to win more than that.”
