Pirates clinch Confed quarters place with win against Saoura in Algiers

20 March 2022 - 23:20 By Marc Strydom
subscribe Just R20 for the first month. Support independent journalism by subscribing to our digital news package.
Subscribe now
Ismaïl Saâdi of JS Saoura and Kwame Peprah of Orlando Pirates challenge for possession in the Caf Confederation Cup match at the 5 July 1962 Stadium in Algiers, Algeria on March 20 2022.
Ismaïl Saâdi of JS Saoura and Kwame Peprah of Orlando Pirates challenge for possession in the Caf Confederation Cup match at the 5 July 1962 Stadium in Algiers, Algeria on March 20 2022.
Image: Jafaar Ladjal/BackpagePix

Orlando Pirates continued to signal their strong intentions in the 2021-22 Caf Confederation Cup, clinching their place in the quarterfinals with a match to spare with Sunday night's 2-0 Group B win against JS Saoura in Algiers.

Lightning strikes as the teams returned from the break by Ntsikelelo Nyauza in the 48th minute and Kabelo Dlamini in the 51st earned Bucs a good win at Stade du 5 Juillet.

A strange piece of officiating saw Pirates end with 10 men as Goodman Mosele received a second booking and dismissal in the 76th.

With 12 points to second-placed Al Ittihad's 10, Bucs will aim to end on top when they meet the Libyan outfit in their last game at Orlando Stadium on April 3.

Last season Pirates showed some potential, progressing past the group stage, but took a convincing 5-1 aggregate defeat — including a 4-0 hammering away — against eventual winners Raja Casablanca in the quarters.

Bucs had suffered a three-year hiatus from Caf competitions after being finalists in the 2015 Confed, until they returned to the Caf Champions League in 2018-19, exiting in the group stage. They only managed an exit at the first hurdle of the Champions League in 2019-20.

Slowly they have appeared to regain the grit and organisation that saw Bucs reach two finals in the first half of the 2010s, where they also lost 3-1 on aggregate to Al Ahly in the 2013 Champions League last match.

A strong combination will be looking for another final — and perhaps even a second trophy to add to the famous 1995 Africa Club of Champions victory — in this year's Confed.

In third place with two matches to go, Saoura had everything to play for, needing a home win to break back into the top two quarterfinal places.

Pirates might have been happy to earn a point that would have seen them level at the top on 10 points with Libyan outfit Al Ittihad — who beat Eswatini's Royal Leopards 3-2 in the earlier game. Bucs then would have backed themselves to beat Ittihad at home to end top of the group.

As could be expected, Saoura had the possession and much of the territory in the opening half. Pirates defended as a unit to mostly keep the Algerian outfit at bay, and looked capable of conjuring something on the counterattack.

Bucs stunned Saoura with two goals within six minutes of the restart.

In the third minute back, Deon Hotto's free-kick from left midfield found Nyauza up 15 metres out to direct an expert, powerful header past Saoura keeper Zakaria Saidi.

Three minutes later Nyauza's throw on the right was headed on by Kwame Peprah, Saoura defender Merwane Khelif only able to misdirect a header to Bandile Shandu on the edge of the box who steered a pass to Kabelo Dlamini to produce a low finish past Saidi.

In the 74th Saoura substitute Ben Melal shot high over the bar. Earlier Bucs midfielder Goodman Mosele had miskicked a clearance, limped a few metres and gone to ground.

Malian referee Mahamadou Kéïta produced a second yellow, and consequent red for Mosele — seemingly for time-wasting — in what seemed a bizarre piece of officiating.


subscribe Just R20 for the first month. Support independent journalism by subscribing to our digital news package.
Subscribe now

Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.

Speech Bubbles

Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.