Bucs face tough test against Citizens
ORLANDO PIRATES coach Milutin “Micho” Sredojevic’s plea to the football gods seems to have fallen on deaf ears with the Buccaneers handed a tough draw in the Nedbank Cup last 16.
Pirates were drawn with Cape Town City in the Mother City on the same week Sredojevic asked the football gods to back the Buccaneers, promising they would win them over with hard work.
The last time the Buccaneers went to Cape Town they returned with their tails in between their legs after a 3-0 thumping from the struggling Ajax Cape Town. Sredojevic’s men can’t afford to lose to the Citizens in their bid to wash away the painful memories of last season.
While the Buccaneers are driven to end a four-year barren run, Sredojevic is chasing his fourth premier knockout competition in four countries.
“Micho” lifted the Ugandan Cup with Sports Cup Villa in 2002, with Saint George in Ethiopia in 2009 and in Sudan with Al-Hilal in 2011.
The fourth title won’t come easy as the Buccaneers have to get past the Citizens, led by former Pirates’ striker Benni McCarthy.
The Citizens are chasing their third appearance in a cup final in two seasons having won the Telkom Knockout last season and lost the MTN8 final earlier this season.
McCarthy will bank on Mathew Rusike to lead the Capetonians’ attack like he did in the last 32 to score the winner over Bidvest Wits on debut.
Rusike hinted on Twitter that he would like to come up against his former team, Kaizer Chiefs, but he will have to settle for their neighbours the Buccaneers.
Amakhosi, just like their neighbours, were drawn against a team from the Western Cape. Chiefs will host Stellenbosch FC. The last time these two teams met in this competition, last year, Gustavo Paez endeared himself to the club’s fans by leading them to a 3-0 win. Coach Steve Komphela will look for a similar performance in a bid to win his first trophy.
His team started this tournament in a bang, defeating Golden Arrows 3-0.
The Premier Soccer League will announce the dates and venue for the Nedbank Cup last 16 at a later stage. Ryan Moon of Kaizer Chiefs. COACHES, they say, love having selection headaches, so Cape Town City’s Benni McCarthy is likely to have a really painful one as he contemplates who to play in the centre of defence against Kaizer Chiefs tomorrow night.
The two teams meet in an Absa Premiership at FNB Stadium (8.15pm kickoff), and it’s a game City can ill-afford to lose.
But, with Chiefs boasting Leonardo Castro and the in-form Ryan Moon in attack, and veterans Bernard Parker and Siphiwe Tshabalala as sprightly as ever, City’s defence will have to be on top of their game to keep Amakhosi at bay.
McCarthy’s selection headache could, in fact, have been worse, had captain Robyn Johannes been available to play against Chiefs. The former Bafana Bafana striker’s migraine comes courtesy of the excellent performances turned in by Kwanda Mngonyama and Tshepo Gumede in the club’s last two fixtures – 1-0 wins over Wits in the Nedbank Cup and Young Buffaloes in the Caf Confederation Cup.
Two weeks ago, McCarthy lost his number one pairing in central defence, Johannes and Taariq Fielies – Johannes to a red card (twogame ban) and Fielies for his fourth booking of the season (one-match suspension). In their absence, new man Mngonyama and Gumede produced solid displays.
Johannes has one more game to sit out, but Fielies is back in contention. Now, the question is whether McCarthy will stick with the form men at the back, or does he bring Fielies back into the team at the expense of either Mngonyama or Gumede? McCarthy will have to think deeply and carefully about the decision because he is fully aware that, ultimately, whatever he decides, it will have a major impact on the outcome.
As for Chiefs, it’s the type of fixture McCarthy loves. Not only is it a stage for players to rise to the occasion, it’s also an opportunity for a coach to test himself, with regards to tactics and all-round game preparation.
“They’ve (Chiefs) done well in recent times, which is why they find themselves close to the top,” said McCarthy. “We know we can expect a more open match than the last time we faced them. It was a time when they weren’t doing so well, which made the match a little bit cagey, but this time around they are in a much better place and they are playing at home. But this adds to the importance of the match for us, because we want to get back into that second spot, though we have to depend on one or two other results as well.”
City won’t lack for confidence, considering their recent form. And, if there’s one thing everybody knows about McCarthy, it’s that he loves the big occasion. In the PSL, one such big occasion is a football match against Chiefs – and the City coach is relishing the opportunity.
“We are obviously delighted to have won our last two matches coming into this one,” said McCarthy. “Playing Chiefs now, our confidence is high and I don’t think I need to motivate my boys any further. It’s natural that they’ll be pumped up for the fight; we’ve been decent on the road, so, of course, we’ll look to continue that form.”