EVERTON'S 2-0 quarterfinal win over Sunderland on Tuesday night has left the Merseyside club pursuing a second FA Cup final appearance in four years - but this time Bafana 

Bafana captain Steven Pienaar will play no part in the "magnificent challenge" to reach the blue riband event of English soccer at Wembley Stadium. 

Schillo, as he is widely known in football circles, played for Everton in the unsuccessful, but still memorable 2-0 Cup final defeat against star-studded Chelsea in 2009.

But although he is now back at the Merseyside club on loan from Tottenham Hotspur after a deflating, injury-marred year, the back-to-form Pienaar is cup-tied and not eligible to participate in any further Cup matches this season after his inclusion in one of Spurs' previous squads.

And while Pienaar has regained much of his old sparkle with Everton, his return to the club has had a couple of downturns as well.

Because of an agreement between Spurs and Everton, Pienaar was not eligible to play in the recent English Premiership game in which the Merseyside combination shocked their more-vaunted London opponents.

Adding to the frustration of not showing his true wares against the club where he failed to rise to expectations is the rule that prevents Pienaar from taking part in the FA Cup semifinal against staunch rivals Liverpool in next month's semifinal at Wembley Stadium, as well as the final itself should Everton upset their adversaries.

More soothing news for the diminutive Bafana captain is the news that Everton are desperately keen to retain Pienaar's services after the current six-month loan agreement with Spurs is over, with the Merseyside club prepared to return the initial R30m transfer fee they received in order to complete a reverse move.

Meanwhile Pienaar continues to demonstrate the form for Everton that eluded him with Spurs and a further impressive performance last week earned him the man-of-the-match award after the 2-0 victory over Swansea City.

This augurs well for Bafana's World Cup qualifying fixtures.

As for the FA Cup, Pienaar will have to resign himself to a place in the grandstand, while pondering over the realisation that the grass is not always greener on the other side of the fence.

-Sowetan