The intervention of the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) came to the rescue of Orlando Pirates to ensure that the CAF Champions League semi-final first leg tie against Pyramids FC remains goalless heading to Egypt next week.
Pirates and Pyramids played to a 0-0 draw during their encounter at the FNB Stadium on Saturday night.
Pyramids thought they had finally broken the deadlock with five minutes to go, however, Burundi international referee Pacifique Ndabihawenimana went to the VAR screen and discovered that Ougola Sodiq used his hand to score the goal after some ping pong inside the Pirates box.
Also, at the stroke of half-time, the VAR came into play and was in favour of the Buccaneers when Fiston Mayele’s wonder strike at close range was ruled for an offside.
The result means that Jose Riveiro and his men will go to Egypt on Friday with a mandate of scoring an away goal, having not conceded at home.
Pirates will have to dig deep in the second leg if they are to reach the elusive CAF Champions League final berth.
The game may not have had a lot of clear-cut goal-scoring opportunities from the Buccaneers’ point of view, but they will take the result and a lot of positives going to the reverse fixture.
The visitors will look back at some of the chances that they squandered, especially in the second half.
The Pirates defense was shaky and found wanting at times, as the half chances that the Pyramids’ attack created could have ended it goals should they had been more clinical.
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