ORLANDO Pirates go into their vital African Champions League assignment with a wave of internal rumblings threatening the stability of the team.
The Buccaneers are still reeling from startling comments of ‘‘sinister forces” bent on destroying stalwart Lucky Lekgwathi as they prepare for Tunisia powerhouses Esperance in the first leg of the Champions League semifinals at the Orlando Stadium tonight.
The Bucs captain was quoted in his weekly column in a Johannesburg daily newspaper as saying there are ‘‘sinister forces” at the club who are behind his exclusion from the Pirates side that lost to Platinum Stars in the MTN8 final last week.
Lekgwathi, who has since apologised for his comments, was conspicuous by his absence at the team’s training session on Thursday due to a family bereavement.
‘‘He has apologised for those unfortunate remarks,” said a source within the Bucs team.
‘‘He is aware he’s not getting any younger and should not have said those things.”
Lekgwathi is unlikely to captain the Bucs against the Tunisians, following the utterances, but he remains crucial to the team’s cause.
Despite all the hype around this game against the celebrated Tunisians, coach Roger de Sa remains unfazed at the prospect of playing against one of the most dangerous teams on the continent. Instead of getting butterflies in his stomach De Sa said he was actually excited.
‘‘This is going to be our toughest fixture so far in this tournament, but it’s high time we showed the world we can swim with the big sharks.
‘‘We are playing against one of the best and trickiest teams in this tournament. They are from the same region and play a lot like Al Ahly.
“They are strong, an awkward lot, quick and play on a regular basis in their domestic league.
“They believe in opening up their game and going for the jugular from the outset. But we also have pacey forwards whose skills could unsettle them. It’s important to play to our strength.”
Playing at home is a slight advantage for Pirates, who have to win in the first leg to enhance their chances of making the final.
Again De Sa will pin hopes of victory on quicksilver striker Lennox Bacela whom many have likened to a consummate stalker, and on the return of attacking midfielder Thandani Ntshumayelo from injury.
While a lot has been said about a formidable Esperance side that has reached the group competition a record 12 times, been runners-up four times since 1999 and reached all of the last four semifinals, new Tunisia national team coach Ruud Krol believes Pirates will have too much firepower for the visitors.
Krol – who led Pirates to a domestic trophy treble in the 2010-11 season – said he strongly believes his former side, the 1995 African champions, will even win the tournament.
De Sa unfazed by rumbling in camp
The Buccaneers are still reeling from startling comments of ‘‘sinister forces” bent on destroying stalwart Lucky Lekgwathi as they prepare for Tunisia powerhouses Esperance in the first leg of the Champions League semifinals at the Orlando Stadium tonight.
The Bucs captain was quoted in his weekly column in a Johannesburg daily newspaper as saying there are ‘‘sinister forces” at the club who are behind his exclusion from the Pirates side that lost to Platinum Stars in the MTN8 final last week.
Lekgwathi, who has since apologised for his comments, was conspicuous by his absence at the team’s training session on Thursday due to a family bereavement.
‘‘He has apologised for those unfortunate remarks,” said a source within the Bucs team.
‘‘He is aware he’s not getting any younger and should not have said those things.”
Lekgwathi is unlikely to captain the Bucs against the Tunisians, following the utterances, but he remains crucial to the team’s cause.
Despite all the hype around this game against the celebrated Tunisians, coach Roger de Sa remains unfazed at the prospect of playing against one of the most dangerous teams on the continent. Instead of getting butterflies in his stomach De Sa said he was actually excited.
‘‘This is going to be our toughest fixture so far in this tournament, but it’s high time we showed the world we can swim with the big sharks.
‘‘We are playing against one of the best and trickiest teams in this tournament. They are from the same region and play a lot like Al Ahly.
“They are strong, an awkward lot, quick and play on a regular basis in their domestic league.
“They believe in opening up their game and going for the jugular from the outset. But we also have pacey forwards whose skills could unsettle them. It’s important to play to our strength.”
Playing at home is a slight advantage for Pirates, who have to win in the first leg to enhance their chances of making the final.
Again De Sa will pin hopes of victory on quicksilver striker Lennox Bacela whom many have likened to a consummate stalker, and on the return of attacking midfielder Thandani Ntshumayelo from injury.
While a lot has been said about a formidable Esperance side that has reached the group competition a record 12 times, been runners-up four times since 1999 and reached all of the last four semifinals, new Tunisia national team coach Ruud Krol believes Pirates will have too much firepower for the visitors.
Krol – who led Pirates to a domestic trophy treble in the 2010-11 season – said he strongly believes his former side, the 1995 African champions, will even win the tournament.
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