Chippa’s September ready for emotional return to SuperSport

Chippa United co-coach Thabo September is geared up for an emotional return to Tshwane to face his former team SuperSport United in a DStv Premiership match at Lucas  Masterpieces Moripe Stadium on Saturday.

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September vacated his position as a SuperSport DStv Diski Challenge team manager to join forces with the highly-rated Kwanele Kopo as co-coaches at the Chilli Boys four months ago.

The 41-year-old enjoys legendary status at Matsatsantsa a Pitori where he spent the majority of his playing career and won three league titles in row from 2007.

Kopo is another familiar foe that will be returning to face his old side having worked as a youth coach at United for over two decades before departing the club in 2022.

“After 18 years at SuperSport, I think it will be an emotional return for me because it is a team where I spent most of my life, not just football. It will be emotional but I need to work,” September said in an interview with Phakaaathi.

“No I wouldn’t say it’s an advantage because coach Kopo and I were at SuperSport. As much as we know the club and the players, you can analyse SuperSport but they can still go on to win games. We just need to respect them and make sure that we try our best to come out on top. We don’t have an advantage at all because coach Gavin actually knows me and coach Kopo in and out so it’s going to be a tough assignment.”

The Chilli Boys are in hot form at the moment winning three of their last games in all competitions and they have done so without conceding a goal.

In contrast, SuperSport are winless in 2024 after seven league games. However, September is not reading too much into their indifferent form ahead of the intriguing clash and cautioned against undermining United.

“You have to give them respect. They have young players that they are introducing. That’s why these players have been playing in the Confederation Cup so that they can speed them up and get them ready for the league with so many games,” September warned.

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“A bad patch for them was always going to come but it’s not really a bad patch because they are getting draws out of these games. It shows the quality of the technical team that is led by coach Gavin Hunt. SuperSport are still dangerous so we won’t take the form and undermine what Gavin is building. We will focus on our game and try to continue with what we’ve been doing and hopefully it works out against SuperSport.”