BONGANI MALUNGA
Township Rollers’ chances of securing points from their away trip to Esperance have been handed a major boost after the Tunisian club’s star striker Taha Yassine Khenissi suffered a season ending injury last week.
Esperance’s top scorer suffered a thigh muscle tear after just 20 minutes of a league game against JSK on Thursday, as a result he will miss the Rollers game and he is also considered a major doubt for Tunisia’s 2018 FIFA World Cup adventure, some have even gone to the extent of ruling him out altogether.
The thigh injury is expected to keep him out for four to six weeks according to reports in Tunisia. Yassine Khenissi scored nine goals in 17 league games this season and he was yet to score in three CAF Champions League games this year but he also represented the team’s biggest threat due to his knack for scoring in big games. He has also amassed a total of 35 goals in 57 games in the last three league seasons.
The 26 year old striker has struck goals against the likes of Al Ahly in the CAF Champions League over the years, he also scored the only goal of the game during Tunisia’s 1-0 win over Egypt in an AFCON 2019 Qualifier.
Rollers also have an injured first team player in Keeagile Kgosipula who suffered a minor injury on his shoulder, initial fears within the Popa camp where that it was a dislocation but the medical team confirmed that there was no dislocation.
Instead, the club has taken precautionary measures by allowing the player to rest for the next three weeks. Popa’s players made history in matchday 1 of the group stages as Kgosipula and Lemponye Tshireletso were named in the CAF Champions League Team of the Week. Rollers appear to have a clean bill of health ahead of the game with only Kgosipula missing, the game will be televised on Supersport 4 on Wednesday.