Modise expected to lead Bucs

Teko Modise returns to the Orlando Pirates starting line-up on Friday evening as coach Rudi Krol intends a huge shakes-up of his usual line-up when the Buccaneers tackle Maritzburg United in an Absa Premiership match viewed by the hosts as “revenge” at the Harry Gwala Stadium.

- Great cash prizes in the score-prediction game

United were eliminated from the Telkom Knockout 3-0 by Pirates in a game they felt the forces were against them. They were already on the back foot before the start of the game after the fixture was switched from Harry Gwala to Chatsworth, a venue Maritzburg felt gave the visitors an advantage.

Then they complained about some of Fifa referee Daniel Bennett’s calls before their coach Ernst Middendorp as well as Nigerian strong man Felix Obada were sent off for dissent and dangerous play respectively, which has added an element of a grudge affair to this week’s fixture at Harry Gwala.

Krol meanwhile is said to be considering handing “The General” and several other fringe players a starting berth in a line-up that will see even prodigal son Gert Schalkwyk return to the black and white in what is seen as a ploy to “rest” most of his key players ahead of the Telkom Knockout final against traditional rivals Kaizer Chiefs next week.

Katlego Mashego, Patrick Malokase, Phenyo Mongala, Tlou Segolela and Mark Mayambela are also said to be some of the players who are likely to get a run during Friday night’s grudge game with the Dutchman handing them all an opportunity to prove to him they have what it takes to displace the players that have been in the team since the start of the season.

Modise has watched at least four matches from the bench and even failed to break into the Bafana Bafana team that lost 1-0 to the United States of America during the Nelson Mandela Challenge at the Cape Town Stadium last week.

A dip in form for the player known as the “General” has seen him relegated to the bench, an unfamiliar position for a man who only a season ago was hailed as the greatest playmaker to emerge from Mzansi since the days of Doctor Khumalo and Shoes Moshoeu.

Ironically, the very same supporters who endorsed the benching of Modise claiming he was more of a liability than an asset are the same ones who were questioning the continued benching of “The General” following a heart-breaking 3-1 pasting at the hands of rivals Kaizer Chiefs.

And as debates raged regarding who should and should not be included in the starting eleven, another player who faces a tough challenge to win back the fickle supporters is captain Lucky Lekgwathi who had a nightmare game against Chiefs as Knowledge Musona took him to the cleaners and literally skinned him alive in that match.

Schalkwyk contemplated hanging up his boots due a serious lack of game time and even missed a couple of training in frustration, although the club explained that they were aware why the player was missing in action.

And he seemed to fall way down the pecking order after missing a pre-season training programme at the Pretoria Sports Science Institute but if Krol gets his way and bring him back into the team, he cannot wish for a greater opportunity to stake his claim in the starting eleven than against the “Team of Choice!”