Khuboni injury boosts Pirates

Orlando Pirates’ title charge may have received an unlikely boost in the form of Bafana Bafana’s trip to Tanzania last weekend.

That much-troubled camp saw Golden Arrows send four of their players – all of them making the starting XI – to Dar es Salaam and, as the Buccaneers host the Lamontville club this weekend, Ernst Middendorp ruled out his star midfielder Thanduyise Khuboni.

“He’s out because of a muscle tear. He complained about some pain on his ankle upon return from Tanzania. Now he can’t play for four to eight weeks according to our doctors,” Middendorp, the Arrows coach, said.

Khuboni was one of only five players who played the entire match in Bafana’s 1-0 win over the “Taifa Stars”, and his absence from the Arrows squad should hand the initiative to Pirates, who must win in Saturday’s season-ending fixture and hope Ajax Cape Town do not beat Maritzburg United to win the title.

Two other Arrows players, Siyanda Zwane and Siyabonga Sangweni, also played the whole match in Tanzania, while Mzuvukile Tom was substituted right at the end. Sangweni scored the only goal of the game.

Middendorp confessed he would have been “upset” if his team still had something to play for and one of his players returned from a national camp with an injury as serious as Khuboni’s.

“Now I understand fully why Ajax (Cape Town) and (Kaizer) Chiefs decided not to send their players there. Can you imagine if Ajax had Thulani Serero getting this kind of an injury and he’s missing for the deciding match on Saturday? I would have been upset if we were still in the championship or top race, then we have to go into the last match without Khuboni.”

But the former Chiefs trainer added he would continue to support all national teams by releasing his players. “If my players are invited, I will always send them (to the national team). It’s good for them, but in this situation I wouldn’t have been happy to lose a player.”

Khuboni’s absence will not only be a blow to Arrows, but to the national team as well, as coach Pitso Mosimane was almost certainly going to include him in the Bafana squad – which will be named tomorrow – to face Egypt on June 5.

The immediate beneficiaries of the midfielder’s injury are Pirates, however, but Middendorp promised them a tough outing at Orlando Stadium on Saturday (3pm). “We will play to our full potential. I have told my players that they need to do a proper job. We are not going there just to be rolled over. If Pirates win it, it would be because they played way better than us and deserve it. But we will make it as difficult as possible for them,” the German said.

With 47 goals against them, Arrows have one of the worst defences around and Pirates will fancy their chances of securing the victory they badly need, even though they know it may not be suffice to win them the title.

Asked to pick his championship winners, Middendorp said: “Ajax should win it. They are playing at home in the last match and all they need to do is beat Maritzburg. I can’t see them giving it away. Strange things have happened in soccer and maybe Chiefs or Pirates are still in it, but I believe Ajax will take it.”