Orlando Pirates are in the CAF Champions League semifinals following their goalless draw in the deciding leg of their quarter-final tie against MC Alger at Orlando Stadium. Wednesday’s result secured their ticket to the last four as they progress through a 1-0 aggregate score after their narrow win in the away leg.
It’s a welcome return to the semis for the Soweto Giants, whose last appearance at a similar stage of the tournament was back in 2013. Their triumph sets them up for a return to North Africa, where they will engage in a historic battle with Egyptian outfit Pyramids.
The Buccaneers had it all to do on defence in the initial stages of the game, with the visitors looking to start as aggressively as they did in their home leg last Tuesday. Defender Mbekezeli Mbokazi was on hand to intervene as the dangerous Zakaria Naidji was played in down the middle with only the teenager and goalkeeper Sipho Chaine to beat. The shot-stopper soon had a moment of his own, denying Mohamed Bangoura from close range.
The first real chance for the hosts came off the boot of Deon Hotto who fancied a shot from a fair distance out, sending his effort drifting across goal. A follow-up attempt from Relebohile Mofokeng also failed to trouble goalkeeper Toufik Moussaoui as it failed to penetrate the traffic inside the box.
That turned out to only be a rare bright period inside the first quarter for the hosts, who continued to be pinned inside their half. Naidji’s 17th minute shot was off target while Larbi Tabti looked to spark something on the left before a timely block from Nkosinathi Sibisi. Mohamed Bangoura was played one-on-one with Chaine in the 20th minute, with the Bucs keeper making a comfortable grab in the end.
The Buccaneers managed to release the pressure as the half progressed, and Mohau Nkota looked to repeat the heroics of the previous week with an opportunistic shot from range. He however fired straight at Moussaoui who was mostly untroubled by his effort.
Naidji meanwhile continued to ask questions of the Bucs defence, with Sibisi and Mbekezeli Mbokazi called upon on separate occasions. An ambitious attempt from a Bangoura set piece was the last real opportunity at either end in the first period, but the Guinean attacker could not find his bearings.
This meant that the home side were left with 45 minutes to try to preserve their lead in the tie. They had a promising move straight from the restart cut off with Nkota unable to find a way past Merouane Khelif after getting on the end of a clever ball down the middle from Mofokeng.
The Algerians conjured up a few opportunities around the hour mark with captain Ayoub Abdellaoui going wide with a header from the back post before producing a wayward effort from range a few moments later. His opposite number Tapelo Xoki followed suit with a similar attempt, producing an identical result. Shots continued to fly in as replacement midfielder Patrick Maswanganyi placed his on target in the 77th minute, only to be denied by Moussaoui.
Much of the remainder of the second half followed the same theme as both sides resorted to efforts from a fair distance out with both sets of defenders doing well to deny entry into the final third.
The Buccaneers’ defences seemed to be breached in injury time however, when Kipre Zunon found himself unmarked inside the box. The Ivorian fluffed his lines with a poor shot that drifted well wide of the target.
There was a late chance for the hosts to kill off the contest when Tshegofatso Mabasa found himself one-on-one with the keeper. The Bucs striker was also unable to convert with the ball skewing off his left boot before striking the upright.
Pirates were left to survive a nervy few minutes as the visitors intensified their desperate search for a goal that would send the tie into extra time. It was not to be with the Soweto Giants holding their nerve to emerge victorious, keeping their quest for a second continental title alive.
Pirates XI: Chaine, Sibisi, Xoki, Van Rooyen, Mbokazi, Mbatha (Ndlondlo 70’), Makhaula, Nkota (Maswanganyi 70’), Mofokeng, Hotto, Makgopa (Mabasa 83’).
