Matlaba blow for Buccaneers
Micho’s men still smarting from 6-0 humiliation.
Orlando Pirates will be without the suspended Thabo Matlaba when they take on Mamelodi Sundowns in tomorrow afternoon’s much-anticipated Absa Premiership clash at Loftus Versfeld.
The Buccaneers captain picked up his fourth booking of the season in Pirates’ 3-1 victory over Baroka FC last weekend, as Pirates began the New Year on a high, with a superb attacking display. Nevertheless, Pitso Mosimane’s
Masandawana will, as usual these days, start as favourites heading into tomorrow’s match.
The last time the sides met at the same venue on February 11, football showed its ugly face when Pirates fans stormed the pitch as their team was on the receiving end of a 6-0 hiding.
Pirates and Sundowns were both charged for the behaviour of their fans, and though the Buc- caneers were finally found guilty of spectator misbehaviour in December, no sanction has yet been handed down, while Sundowns’ charges are expected to be heard this month.
In their most recent meeting between the two sides at the Orlando Stadium last November, it was a usual nail-biting contest where Downs came out on top with a 3-1 win over the Buccaneers.
The quality of the match was epitomised by Hlompho Kekana’s halfway line screamer that caught goalkeeper Wayne Sandilands in no man’s land.
Pirates have been a work in progress under experienced coach Milutin Sredojevic, who took over for a second spell in charge of the club ahead of the start of this season.
The Sea Robbers have an outside chance of challenging for Absa Premiership honours as they currently trail Sundowns by eight points.
Masandawana bounced back from two straight defeats with a 2-1 win against Ajax Cape Town in the Mother City on Tuesday night, but are still without new signing Aubrey Ngoma, who remains out as he is nursing a slight hamstring injury.