Big striker Gabuza can hold up Angola
HE MAY be struggling to get on the score sheet in domestic football, but striker Thamsanqa Gabuza is a player many coaches would want to take to war against any opposition, writes Tshepang Mailwane.
The Orlando Pirates striker has proved to be a nuisance whenever he plays on the continent, scoring goals for Pirates and Bafana.
Last year, Bafana coach Shakes Mashaba relied heavily on Bongani Ndulula as the big man up front, but the Kaizer Chiefs striker is apathetic in the box and is something of a pacifist in dealing with defenders — unlike Gabuza.
Gabuza, who was Bafana’s best player and the scorer of the only goal in a 3-1 defeat to Mauritania in September, will make life difficult for Angola when they meet in a World Cup first-leg qualifier tomorrow. The match will be played at Ombaka National Stadium in Benguela.
“You can see that he (Gabuza) believes in himself,” former Bafana striker, Phil Masinga, said.
Gabuza should hold the ball when he gets it and make the team play off him, “Big Phil” said.
As a striker who terrorised the opposition, Masinga knew how to take the pressure off his side by shielding the ball and giving midfielders the opportunity to make runs into the box.
“It’s very important to have a big striker up front. It helps a lot when the team is under pressure. He can hold the ball and players can feed off him.”
Masinga feels it would be best for Bafana to have Wits midfielder Sibusiso Vilakazi playing as a second striker to support Gabuza.
“Vilakazi is the one who can play around him. I am not sure about the match fitness of Tokelo Rantie because he has not been playing. Maybe the coach can even play Dino Ndlovu, who has been doing well.”
Gabuza scored in a 2-1 victory over Angola in Cape Town in June and will be looking to put in another good performance to get a positive result before the secondleg tie in Durban on Tuesday.