Orlando Pirates Held to Draw by MC Alger but Progress to CAF Champions League Semis

Orlando Pirates from South Africa played out a 0-0 stalemate at home against Algeria’s Mouloudia Alger on Wednesday, but still secured their place in the CAF Champions League semi-finals.

The Pirates had clinched a 1-0 victory in the first leg of the quarter-finals in Algiers last week, thanks to a goal from Mohau Nkota, progressing to the final four on an aggregate score of 1-0.

This month’s semi-finals will see South African clubs take on Egyptian counterparts in a bid for a spot in the two-legged final.

Mamelodi Sundowns will go head-to-head with the record 12-time Champions League winners Al Ahly, while the Pirates will face Pyramids, the only semi-finalists yet to lift the trophy.

Interestingly, the Pirates were the sole group winners to make it through to the quarter-finals, as Al-Hilal from Sudan, Morocco’s FAR Rabat, and Tunisian side Esperance were all eliminated.

Mouloudia arrived in Soweto on the fringes of Johannesburg with confidence, aiming to overcome the aggregate deficit. The former champions created several late opportunities to clinch the second leg victory and potentially trigger a penalty shootout.

Abdelkader Menezia’s powerful header was expertly parried away by Sipho Chaine, the well-positioned goalkeeper, while fellow substitute Ivorian Kipre Zunon squandered a close-range opportunity by shooting wide.

The Pirates also had a chance in added time when another substitute, Tshegofatso Mabasa, turned sharply in the box, but his low shot struck the base of the far post.

The South African club is aiming for a third final appearance; they triumphed over ASEC Mimosas from the Ivory Coast in the 1995 title decider but were defeated by Ahly 18 years later.