No Jele - Pirates vulnerable
ʂ TAB soccer pools totalling tens of millions of rands are fuelling the excitement ahead of tomorrow’s Soweto derby in which Jele’s absence could spell bad news for Orlando Pirates.
The excitement is mounting as we head into a mega weekend for soccer fans that combines a Soweto derby, mega Soccer 10 and 13 pools and an EPL top-of-the-table clash.
The derby is one of the matches in tomorrow’s principal Soccer 10 pool, which may hit the R4-million mark as a result of a R500,000 carryover boost. And the Soccer 13 pool boasts a R6,105,964 carryover that could drive the pool total to a staggering R30 million.
Both pools are grand opportunities for sharp - and lucky - soccer fans to win huge amounts of lovely cash.
That age-old question of “what would you like first -the good or bad news” is a reality Orlando Pirates face going in tomorrow’s derby against Kaizer Chiefs.
It has to do with team selection, which could play a significant role in determining the outcome of the second derby in seven days between the Soweto giants.
The good news is the return of Thembinkosi Lorch, increasingly the talisman for the Buccaneers and whose absence on Tuesday night, when they were held to a goalless draw at home at the Orlando Stadium by Maritzburg United, was all too obvious.
Lorch had been booked in the 2-2 draw in Durban between
Chiefs and Pirates last weekend in the quarter-final of the Telkom Knockout. It was his fourth yellow card of the season and he had to sit out the league game sandwiched between the two derbies.
Pirates are a much blunter force without his attacking setups. Vincent Pule had a chance to step out of Lorch’s shadow on Tuesday night and emphasis his own playmaking capabilities, but did not grab the opportunity.
The bad news for Pirates is that in the same game, captain
Happy Jele got sent off. An automatic two-match ban means he misses out tomorrow, plus he will not play in Pirates next match against Polokwane City towards the end of the month.
Jele’s absence is a big problem for Pirates, whose defence has been anything but consistent this season.
Jele’s experience makes him a natural leader and without him there is every chance the concentration lapses that have beset Pirates this season will hand Chiefs the opportunity to finally win a derby.
Last week’s match, of course, ended in a draw, although Chiefs did then advance on post-match penalties. Theoretically it means Pirates have therefore not lost in the last 13 derbies.
But tomorrow is the best chance for Chiefs to turn the tables and it could be good news all around for them.