Pienaar to miss crucial Bafana tie

Steven Pienaar appears certain to miss Bafana Bafana’s crucial African Nations Cup qualifier against Niger at the start of next month, after having an operation on his groin that could leave him out of action for six weeks.

The Bafana captain has had a troublesome few months with knee and groin injuries, having already been forced to sit on the sidelines as Bafana played out a goalless draw with Egypt in Cairo at the beginning of June.

Pienaar pulled out of Wednesday friendly against Burkina Faso (Coca-Cola Park, kick off 8.15pm), after coming off injured in a pre-season friendly between Tottenham Hotspur and Athletic Bilbao.

And Tottenham said on their website yon Tuesday: “Following scans and consultation with an independent groin specialist, Steven Pienaar underwent groin surgery this morning … (he) is expected to be sidelined for up to six weeks.”

The absence of his captain on Wednesday, and especially for such an important game in Niamey, is clearly a blow to Pitso Mosimane. However, the Bafana coach can, at the same time, be heartened by the continued emergence of a man happy to be following in Pienaar’s footsteps, Thulani Serero.

Serero, on the face of it, is unlikely to start in Niger, with Mosimane more likely to retain the midfield that performed so well in Cairo. At Coca-Cola Park, however, in a friendly against the Burkinabe, the Bafana coach might just take the opportunity to have a look at his newest star.

“I am ready for anything, I would love to play and if I get to start I will do my best,” said Serero on Tuesday.

“(Wednesday’s) game is a very good game for us in preparing for the qualifier. I think Burkina Faso are a good team … if I am not mistaken they are ranked fourth in Africa. It will be a tough game, but good preparation and we are looking forward to it.”

Serero, the reigning South African Footballer of the Year, has impressed since joining Ajax Amsterdam for the new season.

He came on as a substitute for the last 21 minutes of Ajax’s first Eredivisie game of the season, a 4-1 victory at De Grassfschap on Sunday. It has already been well noted that Pienaar’s career followed a similar path, but Serero was humility itself on Tuesday.

“I know when I went there (to Ajax Amsterdam) everyone was talking about Pienaar, so obviously I’d love to follow in his footsteps,” added Serero.

“It will be difficult, he’s a very good player, way better than me. I have to work hard and try ... it will be very difficult. You never know what happens in football but I am just doing my best and hopefully it will come.”

Mosimane’s problems for the Burkina Faso game are not only with Pienaar, as right back Anele Ngcongca and midfielder Reneilwe Letsholonyane are also out injured. Kagiso Dikgacoi, meanwhile, also appears unlikely to make the trip, still waiting on Tuesday in London for his work visa.

At least Bafana do have Thanduyise Khuboni back from injury, after the Arrows midfielder missed the trip to Cairo.

Khuboni is confident he can slot straight back into the starting line-up on Wednesday.

“I am confident because at Arrows I have been training through the pre-season with the team, and I believe I am fit,” said Khuboni yesterday.

“I have played four games for 90 minutes so I am fit and ready for this game.”