Pyramids believe they have ‘big chance’ in Cairo second leg against Pirates

Pyramids FC believe, given how they rattled Orlando Pirates in Soweto, they have a “big chance” of producing the win at home they need in Cairo on Friday night to progress past the Buccaneers in their Caf Champions League semifinal.

The Egyptian outfit had the ball in the back of the net twice in the 0-0 first leg draw at FNB Stadium on Saturday, with both strikes overruled by video assistant referee (VAR). They will be looking to score goals legitimately in the home leg at the 30,000-seat June 30 Air Defence Stadium.

Pyramids coach Krunoslav Jurčić was not impressed immediately after the first leg, believing his side “scored two goals”. Subsequent TV analysis by South African former referees indicated the 55-year-old the one-time Croatia assistant and manager of Dinamo Zagreb in that country, who spent the past eight years coaching in Turkey and the Gulf before joining Pyramids in February last year, seemed to be wrong, and the decisions right.

“We played very good football. I’m very proud of my team,” Jurčić said after the game at FNB Stadium.

“At the same time as being proud I am disappointed — we scored two goals. When you are playing a Champions League semifinal away and score two goals and both are overruled, it’s a bit frustrating.”

While the first leg was not an uneven game, with both teams having their chances, for at least one of Pyramids’ disallowed goals the Egyptian side were unfortunate, even if the rules were correctly upheld.

From a corner, big Moroccan midfielder Walid El Karti got up to head past Sipho Chaine but the ball brushed in off the arm of Nigerian teammate Sodiq Ougola in front of the line. Had Karti’s powerful finish not made contact with Ougola’s arm — a matter of centimetres — Pyramids would have taken a lead to Egypt.

Unlike Cairo compatriots Al Ahly, who showed how wary they are of Mamelodi Sundowns with an ultraconservative approach to also earn a 0-0 away draw in the other semifinal first leg at Loftus Versfeld, Jurčić had his team set up to press high and try to rattle Jose Riveiro’s inexperienced Buccaneers.

The tactic almost worked — so well, that Jurčić felt confident he could predict a win at home on Friday.

Asked what his team can better from the opening leg, he replied: “First we can improve on this thing of not scoring when we created the chances. That we score the goal, this is a characteristic for big teams.

“All other [aspects] ... I think that if we repeat the match we had here, then we have a big chance.”

Pirates arrived in Cairo on Tuesday morning.

Factors Riveiro’s team will see as advantages, despite not managing to engineer a lead at home, include that while Pyramids need a win to reach the final, not conceding at FNB means Pirates can progress with a scoring draw or win.

Also, Pyramids, formed in 2008, have not managed to match their ambition on the field in the numbers of supporters they have drawn. June 30 Stadium is not expected to be packed, though Pirates have used hostile atmospheres away to lift their own game in three wins in North Africa in the 2024-25 Champions League.

Those three victories — against CR Belouizdad in Algiers and Al Ahly in Cairo (both 2-1) in the group stage and 1-0 against MC Alger in Algiers in the quarterfinals — are another boost to Bucs’ confidence going to Cairo.

Pirates relative inexperience and youth of some of their star performers — Relebohile Mofokeng and Mohau Nkota, both 20, scored or provided most of their goals in their victories in North Africa — can help with boldness in approach.

But Bucs are definitely up against it meeting a physical, excellently-drilled side with a fearsome home record — Pyramids have notched up a staggering 29 goals in seven Champions League matches at June 30 Stadium this season.

Caf Champions League semifinal second legs

SA times

Both 0-0 from the first legs

Friday:

• Al Ahly SC v Mamelodi Sundowns, Cairo International Stadium (6pm)
• Pyramids FC v Orlando Pirates, June 30 Air Defence Stadium, Cairo (8pm)