Can AmaZulu stop Pirates’ skilful winger Pule?
ORLANDO Pirates skilful winger, Vincent Pule, pictured, is a difficult customer to stop these days but Thembela Sikhakhane of AmaZulu is ready to keep the Buccaneers new fan favourite quiet should he be tasked with the job of monitoring him on Saturday.
Usuthu will face Pirates at Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban at 6pm in a much-anticipated Telkom Knockout quarter-final showdown.
Pule was the hero last week as he netted the winner for the Buccaneers in the Soweto Derby. He has been the colossal figure for Pirates with his significant contributions this season.
Sikhakhane is not fazed by the possibility of facing the red hot Pule.
“I don’t have any message to him (Pule). The coach (Cavin Johnson) hasn’t even selected the 18 (squad to face Pirates on Saturday). If
I’m tasked with responsibility of representing my team on the day I will make sure that he is not effective on my side (right back position). I will make sure that I help my team by stopping him,” Sikhakhane said with a huge smile on his face.
Pule joined Pirates from Bidvest Wits at the start of the season. He has good memories in Durban. This is the city where he notched the winner for Wits as they downed Bloemfontein Celtic in the Telkom Knockout final at Princess Magogo Stadium in KwaMashu last season to win the competition. This is the same city where he made his Bafana debut against Libya this year.
The mercurial left-winger has delivered five strikes in 11 appearances across all the competitions for his new employers. Pule has also contributed four assists for the Buccaneers so far this season in the league.
He is dangerous and he needs to be well taken care of but Sikhakhane is up for that challenge. His second challenge is the fact that he is facing his parent club. Sikhakhane is on loan at Usuthu until the end of the season from Pirates.
“That won’t distract me. I won’t even put it on my head. I will do what I always do in each and every match that I play. I won’t approach it differently because we are playing a big team. I will play my normal game. I want to help the team win the game,” he explained.
The third challenge facing AmaZulu and Sikhakhane is that they will lock horns against Pirates at Moses Mabhida, and not their preferred territory which is King Zwelithini Stadium in Umlazi where they are still unbeaten this season.
“It affected us. Most of our home games we play them in Umlazi. It has affected us big time. It didn’t go down well in us as players but we have no choice. We have to go out there and be strong. We are ready to face Pirates. I’m sure we will win,” Sikhakhane elaborated.
Pirates and AmaZulu have only won this competition once in their history. Usuthu lifted it back in 1992 while Pirates triumphed in 2011.
“If we beat Pirates it will mean we are step closer to the final. If we can beat Pirates what can stop us from beating anyone in the semi-finals? It will be all up to us,” Sikhakhane concluded.