Bright may have to resort to Plan B

The last time Santos met Orlando Pirates, new coach David Bright triumphed with an astute plan to nullify the creative forces within the Buccaneers side.

A five-man defence, backed up by a four-man midfield that included giant centre back and skipper Musa Otieno, made light of the task on a day when Pirates coach Owen da Gama and his charges simply ran out of ideas.

Santos won that Absa Premiership fixture 2-1, but the big interest ahead of Sunday's Nedbank Cup last-32 tie against the same opponents at Athlone Stadium (kickoff: 3pm) is in Bright's Plan B should his defence-minded counter-attacking ploy fail.

By the coach's own admission, trusty stalwarts Sebastien Bax and Otieno were no match for the Golden Arrows ball players despite Santos running out 3-1 winners at Athlone recently.

Arrows broke the shackles by letting the ball do the work and mostly playing the first thing they saw. They lost because they failed to convert countless opportunities into goals, something Santos had down to a fine art on the occasions they ventured forward with a purpose.

Bax subsequently found himself on the bench for Wednesday's goalless draw with Mamelodi Sundowns, while Otieno delivered a solid performance in his more accustomed central defensive role.

There was, however, a gaping hole in midfield from where Sundowns made merry and, but for some woeful finishing, might well have handed the Cape side a drubbing in the steady rain.

From a Sundowns perspective, substitute Peter Ndlovu's sitter from about seven metres should have been enough to secure the three points.

In the end, the Cape side secured a vital away point, but this time the cracks were just a tad wider.

Da Gama is not likely to be caught out twice in a matter of weeks. His notes will no doubt point to the fact that Pirates are better off trusting their own strengths, which means a full onslaught from the start.

Bright said he would engage very much the same side and tactics which had undone Pirates before. That alone should play right into Da Gama's hands - if he mentor has done his homework, that is.

Under the former Botswana under-23 coach, the People's Team have been drilled in military fashion into blanket defending backed by swift counters, which one must add have yielded impressive returns via strikers Erwin Isaacs and Eleazar Rodgers.

What, though, if Pirates manage an early score to force Santos to play more expansively in search of goals?

And will the coach be able to come up with the answers when faced with opponents protecting a lead with Santos-style defending?

Will the hosts' flair players be up for the challenge given a distinct lack of game time during the team's excellent five-match winning streak?

Meanwhile, Kaizer Chiefs goalkeeper Itumeleng Khune has his heart set on reaching another major cup final, starting with tonight's tie against Ajax Cape Town in Durban.

The 20-year-old rose to prominence earlier this season when his heroics between the poles helped the Amakhosi to the prestigious Telkom Cup.

Khune is cock-a-hoop following his long overdue debut for Bafana Bafana, albeit in a low-key 2-1 win over Zimbabwe in a friendly on Tuesday.

"It's a pity about the goal, though," said the Chiefs talisman, referring to a deflected free kick that had put the visitors ahead.

"It felt great to represent my country and I am hopeful of many more opportunities," he added.

But first things first, though, and the sturdy youngster is likely to stand between Ajax and the next round in tonight's interestingly poised tie.

Chiefs come off a super 4-1 win over Free State Stars, something Khune said had seen much of the missing self-belief return.

"That was a crucial result, and people are suddenly oozing confidence and self-belief. That and the fact that (Chiefs) are renowned cup fighters must count for something (tonight).

"We know that Ajax are very attack-minded, so there will be no room for any complacency."