Bucs forced into waiting game
ORLANDO Pirates will need a win or draw from their last match of the group stage, or a result for Group A counterparts Enyimba against Ahli Benghazi this afternoon, in order to reach the quarter-finals of the Confederation Cup.
That waiting game could have been avoided though.
Pirates were held to a goalless draw by ES Setif in their penultimate group stage match at Orlando Stadium yesterday as they moved on to nine points, one behind their next opponents Enyimba.
After a rollercoaster few outings in recent domestic football, following their humiliating 4-1 loss to Mamelodi Sundowns in the Nedbank Cup semi-finals and 2-0 win over Maritzburg United in the Premiership, Pirates were hoping to continue with a win in continental football.
They had won all their last three games in the competition at home, two coming in the group stage against Enyimba and Benhgazi.
Against Setif, they started well as expected, making forays into the visitors’ final third in the first half, but their finishing let them down.
They were nearly punished for their wastefulness with Akram Djahnit curling in a free-kick on the stroke of half-time which forced a high-flying save from Wayne Sandilands, who had replaced the injured Siyabonga Mpontshane midway through the first half.
Pirates, though, missed a pinpoint opportunity early in the second half. After a quick one-two between Deon Hotto and Vincent Pule, the latter set up Tshegofatso Mabasa, who unceremoniously put his shot over the crossbar.
A defensive blunder from Thulani Hlatshwayo in defence awarded the Algerians a set-piece on the edge of the penalty area, but Djahnit was once again denied the opener by the sharp reflexes of veteran goalkeeper Sandilands.