Many might have not known or bothered but that victory at the Royal Bafokeng Sports Palace courtesy of goals by Rhulani Manzini and Menzi Masuku was Chippa’s first cup game win and it happened at the 10th attempt.
Since Dan Malesela took over at The Chilli Boys late last year and led them to a top-eight finish plenty people have started taking notice of this club and there is suddenly belief that they can get past any opposition – Mamelodi Sundowns included.
Sundowns is the hurdle that Malesela will need to get past over two legs to create further history by getting this club to their first ever cup final.
Just how badly have Chippa done in cup competitions through the years?
Since the club’s formation in 2009 when Siviwe ‘Chippa’ Mpengesi bought the second division franchise of Mbekweni Cosmos – Chippa have had an awful run of nine consecutive cup game defeats which started five years ago with a 2-3 extra time loss to Witbank Spurs in the last 32 of the Nedbank Cup.
At that time they were a third-tier league club.
Next up, the following year was another defeat (0-1) to Bay United in the same Nedbank Cup.
That run of cup losses continued into their first year in the PSL during the 2012-13 season as they fell 1-2 to Bloemfontein Celtic in the first round of the Telkom Knockout before becoming victims of a 2-3 humiliation at the hands a Malesela-coached United FC in the Nedbank Cup.
The next season (2013-14) when they were back in the First Division they were bundled out by Santos in the first round of the Nedbank Cup.
Upon their return to topflight football they came unstuck against Platinum Stars in the first round of the Telkom Knockout in 2014, losing by a single goal before they were embarrassed by third-tier club Natal United at the first stage of the Nedbank Cup.
Last season Baroka FC shocked The Chilli Boys 2-3 elbowing them out of the Nedbank Cup at the round of 32, while in the Telkom Knockout it was Sundowns who sent them tumbling in the first round.
So with their first cup game victory finally recorded the question being asked is could this be Chippa’s year as they seek to win a trophy that their semi-finals opponents Sundowns haven’t won since 2007, and have actually lifted just thrice since its formation back in 1972.
Newly formed Cape Town City and Bidvest Wits are in the other semi-final pot.