Orlando Pirates coach Abdeslam Ouaddou is facing the risk of going into Saturday’s Soweto Derby confrontation with Kaizer Chiefs having limited options following fitness concerns on key players.
The Buccaneers face Amakhosi at FNB Stadium, keen to reclaim Betway Premiership top spot. They fell to second position on Tuesday after Mamelodi Sundowns beat AmaZulu 1-0 at Moses Mabhida Stadium.
However, the two giants are locked at 38 points each, with goal difference separating them. Victory over Chiefs would be crucial for the Ouaddou and his men to deny Sundowns the opportunity to open a gap in front of them.
Masandawana will host third-placed and tricky Sekhukhune United the day after the Soweto Derby. But the traditional fixture between Soweto sides comes as Pirates are still licking the wounds from last week’s 2-1 league defeat by Sundowns.
They were then stunned by Motsepe Foundation Championship outfit Casric Stars who dumped them out of the Nedbank Cup. It is a similar predicament faced by their rivals Chiefs who are reeling from the CAF Confederation Cup exit after a 2-1 defeat away at Zamalek SC.
Amakhosi were also defeated 2-1 by Stellenbosch in a PSL tie at FNB Stadium on Tuesday. It was a result which denied Chiefs a chance to climb up the standings from fourth to third position and close in on the leading pack.
With both the Soweto giants pressed to recover after losing their respective two games going into the derby, Saturday’s showdown is a potentially stormy affair.
FITNESS CONCERNS HEADLINE PIRATES’ CAMP AHEAD OF SOWETO DERBY
Despite the setback of going into this match against the backdrop of a two-match losing run, the Pirates camp has been hit by a spate of injuries to key players. Striker Evidence Makgopa has been working to regain his fitness at a time when Ouaddou has been complaining about a blunt strikeforce.
After FARPost spotted Makgopa participating in full training on Monday last week, his absence against Sundowns and Casric Stars might be viewed as a precautionary measure to keep him fresh for the derby. Boitumelo Radiopane joins Makgopa as another striker racing to be fit for the Chiefs clash.
The crisis upfront saw Ouaddou assigning midfielder Andre de Jong to spearhead Pirates’ attack against Casric Stars, a match they struggled upfront.
Although Pirates did not concede goals against Casric Stars, they have been jittery at the back of late. That shaky defence is affected by the likes of Tapelo Xoki and Thabiso Lebitso being unfit. Sipho Mbule, Thalente Mbatha and Kabelo Dlamini have made numbers short in midfield and would be hoping to be fit for the derby.
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