Ntshumayelo aware it’s go big in Suez – or go home
Midfielder hungry to get at Al Ahly in Cup clash
THANDANI Ntshumayelo seems to be the player Orlando Pirates will turn to in their search for a box-tobox midfielder in Sunday’s Confederation Cup match against Al Ahly.
That role has usually been performed with accomplishment by Oupa Manyisa but following a fractured ankle he sustained in the firstleg, Manyisa won’t start the semifinal second leg match in Suez, northern Egypt.
The playmaker has been ruled out for several weeks.
Pirates have a slender 1-0 lead from Saturday’s first leg at Orlando Stadium.
Ntshumayelo, having been down in the pecking order to Manyisa and Issa Sarr in Bucs’ central midfield and played just one league match this season, had something of a nightmare match in the 4-1 final group stage humbling against Zamalek in Cairo.
The nuggety playmaker was particularly all over the place in an admittedly
But Pirates coach Eric Tinkler stuck with Ntshumayelo for Saturd first leg, and the midfielder excelled.
“I’ve got experience – I’ve played in the Caf Champions League, I’ve played against Al Ahly before, I’ve scored against Al Ahly. I think the confidence is going to be high if I get to play in the second leg,” Ntshumayelo said yesterday.
“But we all know from being in Egypt against them in the 2013 Champions League final there are going to be difficulties, and they are going to try and make it hard for us,” he added.
“But we’re all ready, we’re experienced and we’ve played at the highest level before – I think we can manage.”
The Egyptian FA have officially announced the match will be played behind closed doors.
Pirates might not be blamed for
disjointed team performance. only believing that when they see it. Bucs were supposed to play in front of a limited number of fans ( 20 000 in the second leg of the 2013 Champions League final against Al Ahly in Cairo) but found the 35 000-seater Arab Contractors Stadium packed to capacity.
Bucs also missed their two nextchoice captains, Happy Jele and Siyabonga Sangweni, suspended in the first leg. Jele is available for Sund game.
If Tinkler got a few selections and decisions in his gameplan wrong against Zamalek, it seemed an improved strategy from the coach in the first leg against Al Ahly.
“They’re a good team and they have good players, and I think our technical team did a good job analysing them and coming up with the right plan. And it’s 1-0 now,” said Ntshumayelo.
Perhaps the wrong calls and drubbing against Zamalek will have served as just the preparation Bucs and their technical staff needed ahead of this make-or-break trip to Suez.