Orlando Pirates capped their incredible run in the Caf Champions League by beating 12-time champions Al Ahly 2-1 at the Cairo International Stadium yesterday to ensure they finish top of their group.
A rare wayward pass by Deon Hotto allowed Ahly to equalise through substitute Hussein El-Shahan after Relebohile Mofokeng put the Buccaneers ahead early in the second half.
Gilberto, the Angolan striker, came off the bench to score the winner for the Buccaneers, tapping home after substitute Tshegofatso Mabasa had thought his header had crossed the line. It didn’t matter who scored as Bucs recorded yet another piece of history against Africa’s club of the century.
The 20-year-old Mofokeng toe-poked home after getting in at the end of Thalente Mbatha’s pass in a match Pirates needed to draw to ensure they finish on top of their group to avoid facing one of the other three top group finishers.
For finishing on top, Pirates will gain the advantage of playing the second leg of their quarterfinal at home.
Interestingly, Pirates started this match looking to beat Ahly in their own backyard for a record third time, having beaten them in the group stages of the Champions League in 2013 and in the semifinal of the Caf Confederation Cup in 2015. Before this match Pirates were the only side to beat Ahly twice away from home.
Both sides had chances to score in the first half but fluffed them. Mofokeng should have put Pirates ahead inside the first five minutes when he found himself with acres of space inside the area but chose to pass.
Yasser Ibrahim was also unlucky to see his header going over the bar following an Ahly corner that Pirates failed to clear. But Pirates did well in neutralising the home side, with Makhehlene Makhaula and Mbatha working hard to protect their defence.
Mbatha, who looked dangerous with the ball in front of the Ahly box, did well to pick Mofokeng for the ball that resulted in the first goal. Scoring his fourth goal in eight Champions League matches, Mofokeng looked calm as he put the ball in the back of the net.
The win for Pirates is quite significant against a side that has won this competition four times in the last five years and came to this match as favourites after holding the Buccaneers to a 0-0 draw in Orlando in December.
But Pirates, having come to this match after winning three and drawing two of their other group matches, maintained their form and at times toyed with Ahly — to the annoyance of the home fans.
Having had this fantastic run, Pirates will now be favourites to repeat what they did in 2013 when they went all the way to the final where they were denied by Ahly to add a second star to the one they won in 1995 after beating Ivory Coast’s Asec Mimosas in the final.
While Pirates have made the last-eight comfortably, their fellow South Africans Mamelodi Sundowns may join them among the top finishers if they beat Morocco’s AS FAR at Loftus Stadium today.
Sundowns, South Africa’s champions in the last eight seasons, will need a draw to be certain of making the knockout stages for the seventh consecutive time.
If Sundowns qualify, they will join Pirates, Ahly (Egypt), Al-Hilal (Sudan), Esperance (Tunisia), MC Alger (Algeria), AS FAR (Morocco) and Pyramids (Egypt) in the draw for the last eight.
Scorers:
Ahly - Hussein El-Shahat (69m)
Pirates - Relebohile Mofokeng (53m); Gilberto (83m)
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