Middendorp: Bvuma is a player with huge potential
FOLLOWING his blunders this season, goalkeeper Virgil Vries has fallen down the pecking order at Kazier Chiefs.
The Namibian international who joined the club at the beginning of the season as back-up to Itumeleng Khune, is now set to become third choice to Bruce Bvuma and Daniel Akpeyi for the remainder of the season – while Khune is out injured.
Following his debut against Orlando Pirates in the Soweto derby last Saturday, Akpeyi, who joined Chiefs on the last day of the January transfer window, is for now the preferred No 1 at the club. Vries, was completely dropped out from that squad last Saturday as the young Bvuma was the deputy against the Buccaneers.
However, Vries will return to the bench on Sunday for Chiefs’ Nedbank Cup clash against amateurs The Magic FC, but this time he’ll be back-up for Bvuma – as Akepyi cannot compete because he is cup tied after featuring for Chippa United in the last 32.
“Virgil Vries didn’t grab his chance at that time, and that’s reality and a fact,”coach Ernst Middendorp said yesterday. “We’ll take him out (of the picture) for a little bit in order to protect his potential and we’ll see what happens. I don’t know the management or the club’s responsibility, but that (Vries’ future at Chiefs) will definitely be something that will be decided in a round table in June.”
Sunday’s match will be a real test of character for Bvuma. Amakhosi have a poor record against minnows in the South Africa’s premier Cup competition. Should Chiefs prevail, Bvuma will likely be the supporters’ favourite but if they succumb to Magic, he’ll be dubbed as the man partly responsible for them failing to end a three-year trophy drought. Moreover, this Chiefs’ second successive Nedbank Cup clash against minnows as they needed an own goal in extra time to get the winner against Tornando FC in the last32. Middendorp though is adamant that Bvuma will be equal to the task.
“He’s a very qualified player with huge potential,” Middendorp said. “But we had to decide, is he really prepared for the tournament and to be regular on the field at the age of 23? His training impression has been good. Then we said, let him be prepared and make him mentally strong. And, I think so far he was listening and I think it’s now time.”
Should Bvuma produce a match-winning performance, not only will he have won the hearts of the Amakhosi faithful, but he’ll be in Middendorp’s good books. The German tactician has recently proven with the promotion of Happy Mashiane that he gives whoever he sees befitting to play an opportunity regardless of experience and the magnitude of the match. A typical example is that of Mashiane who was only promoted three weeks ago, but has already started three straight matches including the derby against Pirates last week.
“I have my belief (of how and when players must be promoted) but strategically a lot can be done to improve,” Middendorp said. “But I have no competence to think of South Africa in general.” BARCELONA’S seemingly unstoppable march to a 26th La Liga title has slowed with two consecutive draws, but Ousmane Dembele can return them to full speed when he makes his first start in four weeks against Real Valladolid tomorrow.
While the Catalans have been sweating on the fitness of Lionel Messi, who has completed their last two league games despite some discomfort in his thigh, the absence of Dembele has been felt just as keenly.
The France forward had put his disciplinary problems aside in the last two months, carving up opponents with his unpredictable dribbles and forming a profitable trident with Messi and Luis Suarez. His progress, however, was cut short by an ankle injury against Leganes on 20 Janaury.
Without Dembele, Barca saw an eight-game winning run interrupted by a 2-2 draw at home to Valencia, and a 1-1 stalemate in a Copa del Rey semi-final first leg against Real Madrid.
He came on for 15 minutes against Athletic Bilbao, where Barca drew 0-0, with Suarez saying the team’s attackers suffered from a lack of communication.
Barca’s record signing Philippe Coutinho has filled in for Dembele,
but has failed to dovetail with his fellow South Americans, Suarez in particular, who thrives off the space the Frenchman’s rampaging runs create for him.
With a resurgent Real closing a gap of 10 points two games ago down to six and emerging as a late threat to Barca’s title ambitions, Dembele’s return to full fitness could hardly come at a more urgent time.
After facing 15th-place Valladolid, Barca face four consecutive tricky away games which could define their season, taking on Lyon in a Champions League last-16 first leg next week before visiting fourth-placed Sevilla.
They then visit Real for the second leg of the Copa del Rey semi-final before returning to the Santiago Bernabeu for a league fixture which could have a huge say in the destination of the title. |