The titanic Group C finale between Orlando Pirates and Al Ahly arrives with quite a bit at stake, despite both sides’ success in securing spots in the CAF Champions League knockouts. They clash at Cairo International Stadium on Saturday, bringing an exciting end to the group stage.
The two African giants are separated by only a single point heading into the encounter with the Buccaneers leading the charge. Meanwhile, the chasing pack – in the form of Algeria’s CR Belouizdad and Ivorian outfit Stade d’Abidjan – is out of the race.
While the two crucial qualifying slots have been occupied with a game to spare, there is still more than enough motivation for each side to put on a determined effort on the final match day. First place is up for grabs with Pirates also going in with the added incentive of finishing the group stage unbeaten.
This has been echoed by defender Nkosinathi Sibisi, who has led the team out throughout this stage of the competition.
“The team is highly motivated when we go into a game against Al Ahly,” he told orlandopiratesfc.com. “We want to finish the group unbeaten and we’d like to finish at the top of our group. I think that’s our main objective. We’re aiming to get a positive result here in Cairo.”
As one of South Africa’s two representatives in the tournament, the Buccaneers are also the source of national pride. Sibisi believes a positive result against the defending champions, who began the campaign as group favourites, will hold great significance.
“Our main concern is getting a positive result here and hopefully, it will be good enough to finish the group unbeaten,” he said. “That’s our focus and we want to represent our country and make our country proud.”
The highly-anticipated fixture kicks off at 18:00 and will be televised live on SuperSport Variety 54 (209) and SABC 2.
