Thandani Ntshumayelo seems to be the player Orlando Pirates will turn to in their search for a box-to-box midfielder who can fill the role normally performed with accomplishment by Oupa Manyisa.

He is likely to carry Bucs' responsibilities in this department against Al Ahly in Sunday's CAF Confederation Cup semifinal second leg in Cairo.

Pirates take a slender 1-0 lead from Saturday's first leg at Orlando Stadium to Suez in northern Egypt, on the Mediterranean coast.

Manyisa suffered a fractured ankle in Pirates' goalless draw against Polokwane City last week that has ruled the playmaker and Bucs captain out for several weeks.

Ntshumayelo, having been down in the pecking order behind Manyisa and Issa Sarr in Bucs' central midfield and played just one league match this season, had something of a nightmare return in the 4-1 final group stage humbling against Zamalek in Cairo.

The nuggety playmaker was all over the place in an admittedly disjointed team performance.

But Pirates coach Eric Tinkler has stuck with Ntshumayelo for Saturday's first leg, and the midfielder excelled.

"I've got experience - I've played in the CAF Champions League, I've played against Al Ahly before, I've scored against Al Ahly. I think the confidence is going to be high if I get to play in the second leg," Ntshumayelo said yesterday.

"But we all know from being in Egypt against them in the 2013 Champions League final there are going to be difficulties, and they are going to try and make it hard for us. And we also know Zamalek have a big task coming back from 5-1 down [against Etoil du Sahel] in their semifinal, and it will not sit well with the Egyptians having both teams out. So it's going to be very difficult.

"But we're all ready, we're experienced and we've played at the highest level before - I think we can manage," he said.

Happy Jele , suspended in the first leg, is available for Sunday's game.