Relebohile Mofokeng Relebohile Mofokeng will hope to inspire Orlando Pirates to victory in their CAF Champions League semi-final against Al Ahly. Photo: AFP
Image: AFP
Orlando Pirates boast an impressive home record in the CAF Champions League this season, something that they’ll want to maintain against Pyramids.
Pirates will host the Egyptians in the semi-final first leg at FNB Stadium on Saturday evening (6pm kick-off).
The Bucs are expected to get something out of this clash before they visit the Pharaohs in the return leg in a week’s time.
They’ve been able to make their home ground, Orlando Stadium, a fortress since the start of the group stage, thanks to on-and-off the field impressive performances from the players and fans.
The team usually play like they are possessed, while The Ghost fill up their home venue and rally behind the players with songs and chants.
The Ghost were so good in their last outing that they gave the Ultras, who came out to support MC Alger, a taste of their medicine as they lit up flares during the game.
Alger also felt the wrath of the Pirates fans that they resorted to violent altercations with the players after failing to score, losing their quarter-final tie 1-0 on aggregate.
That loss must have stung for Alger as they thought they’d become only the second Algerian side after CR Belouizdad to score in Orlando since the group stage.
Yes, it’s incredibly been Belouizdad – Alger’s neighbours – who’ve breached Pirates’ defence at home this season, with other goals (one apiece) coming in Algeria, Ivory Coast and Egypt.
The fact that the African Club of the Century, Al Ahly, are one of the teams that failed to score in Orlando should be a cause for concern for their neighbours Pyramids.
Al Ahly struggled to score in back-to-back visits to Orlando, having lost 1-0 in the 2015 Confederation Cup semi-final first leg, before Pirates beat them 4-3 in Cairo in the return.
Pirates seem to have mastered game management in the Champions League this season with every passing match, as the youngsters continue to light up the big stage.
Relebohile Mofokeng and Mohau Nkota already have great memories of North Africa this season, after making a total of five goal contributions between them.
The duo will want to make sure that they start the job at home on Saturday, though – get the all-important clean sheet and win, which will see them one match away from reaching the final.
Pirates are not only aiming to achieve the improbable by winning the continental title in coach Jose Riveiro last season, but crowning off their 30-year anniversary in style as well.
It was exactly three decades ago that the Sea Robbers sailed to the high echelons of African football after beating TP Mazembe in the Ivory Coast.
Since then, their best run was 12 years ago, when they lost to Al Ahly in the final of the continent’s premier interclub competition.
Pirates had again done a sterling job in the first leg at home, holding the Egyptians to a 1-1 draw before eventually losing the tie 3-1 on aggregate on foreign shores.
And so, having long shown that they can keep the Egyptians at bay in Orlando, as The Ghost usually haunts the visitors, Pirates will be hoping for the same script, but with a different cast against Pyramids.
