Golden Arrows aim to extend strong cup record against Chippa United

Lamontville Golden Arrows will look to home advantage and their recent cup form when they host Chippa United in the opening round of the 2026 Carling Knockout.

The sides meet again after drawing 0-0 in their opening Betway Premiership fixture of the 2026/27 campaign. Golden Arrows coach Pitso Dladla expects another tightly contested match, but believes his team can secure a place in the next round.

Chippa United are known for their possession-based approach under coach Brandon Truter, while Golden Arrows will be seeking to impose themselves from the start at home.

“It will be a very tough game to play; they are a ball-playing team under coach ‘Brakkies’ [Brandon Truter], my friend,” said Dladla.

“We also know that they want to go through, but for us, we are playing at home. That should show from the first minute that we are the home team and that we are a team that has been doing well in cup competitions. We just want to win this game and proceed to the next stage.”

The match gives Golden Arrows another opportunity to build on an encouraging record in domestic knockout football over the past year.

Abafana Bes’thende reached the quarter-finals of last season’s Nedbank Cup before going further in the Carling Knockout, where they advanced to the semi-finals. Their run in this season’s MTN8 ended in the opening stages with defeat by Mamelodi Sundowns.

Dladla says those experiences have strengthened his squad’s belief that it can challenge for silverware. He also sees a successful cup campaign as a potential boost for the team’s league form.

Golden Arrows will return to Betway Premiership action after the three-week FIFA international break, when they face newly promoted Milford FC in a KwaZulu-Natal derby.

The break has allowed Dladla and his players to examine areas that have undermined their performances. Among the main issues identified is the team’s failure to turn goalscoring chances into goals.

The coach believes greater precision in front of goal will be essential if Golden Arrows are to convert promising attacking performances into results.

That improvement will be required in both competitions, with the club aiming to continue its progress in knockout football while also making a stronger impact in the Betway Premiership.