WHAT’S ON TKO

ORLANDO PIRATES skilful winger, Vincent Pule, is a difficult costumer 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 the Moses Mabhida Stadium 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 a colossal figure for Pirates with significant contributions this season, but Sikhakhane is not fazed by the possibility of facing the in-form Pule.

“I don’t have any message to him (Pule). The coach (Cavin Johnson) hasn’t even selected the 18 (men squad to face Pirates). If I’m tasked with the responsibility of representing my team on the day, I will make sure that he is not effective on my side (which is at rightback). 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 Wits at the start of the season. He has fond memories of Durban, as it is where he scored the winner for Wits when they beat Bloemfontein Celtic in the Telkom Knockout final at the Princess Magogo Stadium in KwaMashu last season. It is also where he made his debut for Bafana Bafana against Libya this year.

The mercurial left-winger has scored five times 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 PSL.

He is dangerous and needs to be well taken care off, but Sikhakhane is up for the challenge. Sikhakhane will also be up against his parent club, as he 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,” he explained.

The third challenge facing AmaZulu and Sikhakhane is that they will lock horns with Pirates at the Moses Mabhida Stadium instead of their preferred home ground of the King Zwelithini Stadium in Umlazi where they are unbeaten this season. |

Minenhle Mhize