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Benni McCarthy set to unleash Teko Modise against former club Mamelodi Sundowns

Teko Modise of Cape Town City during the 2018 Nedbank Cup Cape Town City FC Media Open Day at Hartleyvale Stadium, Cape Town on 29 March 2018.
Teko Modise of Cape Town City during the 2018 Nedbank Cup Cape Town City FC Media Open Day at Hartleyvale Stadium, Cape Town on 29 March 2018.
Image: ©Chris Ricco/BackpagePix

Benni McCarthy has hinted that he could select veteran Teko Modise against Mamelodi Sundowns when the teams clash in the MTN8 semifinal first leg at the Cape Town Stadium on Saturday.

The 35-year-old has not featured for City since the opening game of the season and was an unused substitute in Saturday’s 0-0 home draw with Lamontville Golden Arrows.

The helter-skelter pace of that match and‚ at times‚ the lack of quality on the ball was crying out for an artist like Modise‚ and McCarthy suggested that he might have brought on the former Bafana Bafana star were it not for an injury to Surprise Ralani that forced the winger off early in the second half.

“Now we will look how we can mix things up and get Teko back in there‚” McCarthy said‚ adding that he was not saving Modise for Saturday’s semifinal.

“My priority is always the game we are playing because it is important to always win.

"If I wasn’t forced to make the Surprise change‚ and to improvise and bring on [Riyaad] Norodien‚ he might have played.

“If not for the forced change I probably would have had Teko in there‚ just in terms of getting balls into [attacker Ayanda] Patosi quicker.”

McCarthy says it is highly doubtful that Ralani will make the weekend‚ a blow for City after he was Man of the Match in a Nedbank Cup defeat to Sundowns last season.

The 30-year-old just stopped playing when he had the ball with what looked a muscle problem that was clearly a painful event.

“For me those are the worst‚ when players stop by themselves.

"Then you know it is serious and my first impression is that it is a torn muscle‚” McCarthy said.

“We will have to assess and see whether he is available‚ but I highly doubt that he will be.

"If it was more of a kick then you know … but those self-stop injuries are usually more serious than normal.”

That could open the door for a Modise return‚ though other options would be to use Norodien or Gift Links out wide to add pace.

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