Mbele holds the key for Pirates

As much as Lelo Mbele is erratic, he carries the hopes of Orlando Pirates as they head into their most crucial fixture in a decade on Saturday.

A return of five goals in Pirates' African Champions League campaign does little justice to the amount of chances which go Mbele's way, but it is not too bad either.

It is, in fact, better than that of Bucs' opponents Sfaxien, whose top scorer in this year's continental event, Essafi Zoubeir, has three goals.

The Tunisians will have to police the DR Congo striker if they hope to leave Ellis Park with a clean sheet. But as ASEC Abidjan, ASPL 2000 and Mbabane Swallows found, it is not always an easy task to track Mbele.

His tendency to drift towards the wings rather than stick to his centre forward duties often confuses his markers and makes him unpredictable. Though some may see it as a weakness, it is a ploy which has worked and, with Benedict Vilakazi in support, Pirates are always likely to score.

However, the amount of chances Mbele misses, as evidenced in the match against Enyimba, when he twice blew one-on-one opportunities, makes him one of the most inaccurate strikers around.

Pirates would pray that he takes at least one in Saturday's first leg as they seek to head into the second leg with one foot in the final. On his day, Mbele can be the star.