Chippa United host Orlando Pirates at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium on Tuesday in a DStv Premiership clash, which boast some unusually close ties.

The stadium has been a happy hunting ground of late for Pirates, who are off to a flying start this season.

Here is Supersport.com closer look at the tussle

Form: Chippa come into this game on the back of three successive goalless draws, one at the end of last season against Lamontville Golden Arrows, which ensured they did not have to compete in the end of season promotion relegation playoff, and then two at the start of the new DStv Premiership campaign against Kaizer Chiefs and TS Galaxy. Pirates will be playing a fourth game in the space of only 11 days but while their legs might be heavy, morale will be high after thrashing Sekhukhune United 5-0 in the MTN8 quarterfinals last weekend. The last time they scored five goals or more in a single game was when they beat Royal Leopard of Swaziland 6-2 at Mbombela Stadium in the African Confederation Cup in February, 2022.

The first meeting: A goalless draw at the Cape Town Stadium marked the first meeting between the two clubs in December 2012. It was Chippa’s first top flight season and they went back down again, only to jump back up again for the 2014-15 campaign and have remained an elite league team for nine seasons in a row. Pirates were at the top of the league standings when they first met Chippa and could have won had Benni McCarthy, on his return from injury, not had his effort saved by Chippa’s Niger international goalkeeper Daouda Kassaly. Chippa were based in Cape Town in those days, before their move to Gqeberha. The best chance of the night for them fell to William Thwala, who was on loan from Pirates at the time.

Pirates in PE: The Buccaneers were beaten on their first two trips to the Nelson Mandela Bay stadium in the 2014-15 season and again in the next campaign but have never lost at the Eastern Cape’s World Cup stadium since. That is seven victories in a row in Gqeberha for the Buccaneers over Chippa, scoring 16 goals in the process.

The overall balance: Chippa do much better away against the Buccaneers, at the Orlando Stadium, than they do at home, with last season’s 1-0 victory in Soweto under rookie coach Daine Klate sparking wild scenes of celebration. But they still have won only four times against Pirates in 21 past meetings with 15 defeats and two draws. The goal count weighs heavily in Pirates’ favour – 33 to 14.

Family ties: Over the last two decades there has been a well worn path for players between the two clubs, even coaches. Pirates have bought liberally from Chippa, often offering them a much-needed financial lifeline, while Chippa have loaned many players from Pirates, keeping them in game time when not needed by the Bucanneers. Pirates even sent Rulani Mokwena to coach Chippa, but then the Covid-19 pandemic broke out and returned months later. Of the current crop of Pirates’ players, Thembinkosi Lorch, Paseko Mako and Sandile Mthethwa made their top flight debuts in Chippa colours. Bienvenue Eva Nga was signed from Chippa after he scored 10 goals for them in the season before last. For this new campaign, Chippa took Craig Martin over from Pirates and Goodman Mosele on loan.