Orlando Pirates coach Ruud Krol has been running his eye over what depth he has in his squad during the two week Fifa international break, and has come up smiling.
Krol might decide to employ some new faces when the Buccaneers aim to stretch their unbeaten record to 10 matches against Santos at the Orlando Stadium on Saturday night. Kick-off is at 8.15pm. Bucs head the standings with 19 points from nine matches.
Pirates will be boosted by the return of their four Bafana Bafana players — goalkeeper Moeneeb Josephs, skipper and midfield strongman Benson Mhlongo, Teko Modise and defender Lucas Thwala — from international duty after a disappointing two match defeat against Norway and Iceland on Thursday.
Josephs, who has conceded only one goal in Bucs’ league campaign so far, played in both 1-0 losses to Norway and Iceland and is expected to be the only one of the quartet to automatically reclaim his first team place. Modise in particular has been overworked at club and international level.
Modise looked jaded against Norway and Iceland and badly needs a rest, otherwise there is a danger that he will burn out before the World Cup kicks off next June.
But Krol said he would assess his four internationals ahead of the clash against Santos before he makes a decision on who will take the field against the People’s Team.
”The coach was busy giving players on the fringe of selection a run in friendly matches against BidVest Wits and FCAK during the break. And the players that came into the side impressed,” said Pirates spokesperson Mickey Modisane.
”It is a nice sort of headache for the coach to know he has strong depth at the club.”
Those who shone in the 2-1 win over the Students and the 5-1 over First Division side FCAK were midfielders Lebogang Mothibanthwa, who returned to action after a long term injury that ruled him out of the second part of last season, Bennett Chenene, and strikers Dennis Masina and Ndumiso Mabena.
Bucs also have their Malawian midfielder Josephy Kamwendo back after he helped his country draw 1-1 against the powerful Ivory Coast in a World Cup qualifier at the weekend.
”It was good to see the players that came in taking the opportunity to play well and stake their claims for a regular place in the starting line-up,” Modisane said.
Bucs are confident that they will collect three points off Santos but, warned Modisane, ”Santos, like every side that play Pirates, are motivated and will rise to the occasion.
”I know their coach, Boebie Solomons, will be out to upset us but home ground advantage and the determination to keep our unbeaten record intact will motivate us to win this match.”
Krol will be without South African Under-20 midfield star Andile Jali who returned from the World Youth Championships in Egypt last week with a hamstring injury that will sideline him for two weeks.
Two PSL giants who are slowly getting their acts together, Mamelodi Sundowns and Kaizer Chiefs, clash at the Super Stadium on Saturday at 3.30pm in what promises to be a fiercely contested 90 minutes.
The Brazilians go in to the match on the back of a 5-1 away win over Maritzburg United while Amakhosi were boosted with a 3-1 away win over Ajax Cape Town in their last fixture before the Fifa break.
Both sides had a slow start to the season but appear to be turning the corner.
Unbeaten BidVest Wits play Golden Arrows at the Chatsworth Stadium on Saturday at 3.30pm. The students and their leading goal scorer, Calvin Kadi, will have to work overtime against a side that have notched seven draws in 10 matches.
The only other unbeaten side, Bloemfontein Celtic, who are joint second with Wits on 17 points, face a tricky trip to Newlands on Sunday (3.30pm) where they come up against a wounded Ajax Cape Town outfit.
The Urban Warriors were dealt another blow last week when coach Muhsin Ertugral quit to return to his native Turkey. — Sapa