September Makes Honest Assessment Of Pirates’ Loanee
Chippa United coach Thabo September has given an assessment of midfielder Siphelo Baloni, who joined the Chilli Boys on a season-long loan from Orlando Pirates in search of game time at the beginning of the campaign.
The 25-year-old dynamic midfielder signed for the Sea Robbers from National First Division side Cape Town All Stars in July 2023 and has two MTN8 winners medals to show for it. However, his stay was a rocky one as he was only used 13 times in his debut 2023/24 season under Jose Riveiro.
As a result, the player continued to fall the pecking order, which subsequently led to a loan move to Gqeberha, where he was expected to get ample game time. Baloni has made 19 appearances
across all competitions for Chippa, with one goal scored and a solitary assist provided in the process. While he was seemingly finding his feet in the top flight with a run of games, the on-loan Bucs star suffered a major setback as he is currently enduring a spell on the sidelines with an injury, with his last appearance dating back to the beginning of March in a goalless stalemate with Richards Bay.
Now, with the business end of the 2024/25 campaign fast approaching, the Chilli Boys’ mentor lauded the contribution and impact Baloni has made during his stay, acknowledging the key role he played in helping the club steer away from the drop zone with games to spare.
“He did well for us, unlucky for him that he got injured, but the time that he was fit he did well for the club that’s one of the reasons why we managed to get out of a situation with four or five games to go and really on top of relegation [zone], it’s because of players like him – so he helped us a lot,” said September.
With their 2025/26 top-flight status all but secured, September says they need to delve deep into the market to bolster their squad in preparation for the upcoming season, despite being content with the players at his disposal.
“For sure, we need to refresh as well, but I feel like we have a very good group [of players], young and a bit old, so it’s a good mixture, especially the way the younger ones came into the second half of the season,” he added.
“It is really encouraging and motivating for us as a technical team and the football club. So, we just need to beef up and get into the market to look for better quality if we want to have a good season next season.”
The former SuperSport United captain went on to confirm that the wheels are in motion to start utilizing players they plan to keep for next season frequently in their remaining matches this term.
Chippa are currently in eighth place with 30 points amassed from 26 league outings.
“We have to start building for next season, start using players that we want to have or look at for next season, and get the best out of the two games left. We are playing Marumo Gallants away, we have Sundowns coming at home,” September added.
