Orlando Pirates attacking midfielder Mohau Nkota says he hopes that his team will display formidable form when they take on MC Alger in the second leg of the CAF Champions League quarterfinals match next week.
Nkota said this after scoring a goal that saw the Sea Robbers emerge victorious against a tactically disciplined MC Alger in a tough game that was played at Stade du 5 Juillet, in Algiers, on Tuesday night.
Expected a tough game
“We knew it was not going to be easy playing against MC Alger here in the north-west of the continent. Especially with that kind of huge support rallying behind them, but in the end we won the match just like we did in the group stages,” Nkota said.
“At the moment our focus is no longer on that match as we have to focus on the return leg scheduled for our home turf. And we hope that standing together as a team will see us through.”
Pirates were unbeaten in Group Stage after six matches that saw them win four and draw two to finish at the top of Group C.
The Mighty Buccaneers are now just one step away from qualifying for their first CAF Championships’ semi-finals since 2013, when they lost in the final to Al Ahly.
Pirates, however, will have to wait for their second leg match at home against MC Alger. It is scheduled for next Wednesday at Orlando Stadium, in Soweto.
Bucs defence commended
Said Pirates coach Jose Riveiro: “Mostly [it was] the game that we expected. And in terms of the level of energy and aggressiveness that our opponents were going to perform. Especially in front of their full crowd and incredible atmosphere at the stadium.
“They really suffocated us in the first 45 minutes. But we defended very well, limiting their best options to finalise their action. This while forcing them to go to the area they were not strong.
“In the second half we tried to be more of ourselves, finding more football on their side. And we worked hard to get to the lead, something which yielded results in the end.”
Expect to do even better at home
Riveiro said the match away was more like the first half of this two-legged match. And they expect to do even better when they play at home in South Africa.
“Everything is still possible. And all we will have to do is to play a good football at home. And also try to make this results a good one for us,” concluded Riveiro.
The goal was orchestrated by Bafana Bafana star Relebohile Mofokeng, who setup a through pass that resulted in the post-halftime substitute Nkota slotting home the game’s solitary goal.
Leading goal scorers
Rele, as Mofokeng is affectionately called, has immensely contributed to the Soweto giants’ success in both the league and continental competitions. He and Nkota are Pirates’ joint leading scorers after the duo rattled the net three times in the current CAF competition.
Having registered an away victory, Pirates will be looking forward to completing their dominance over the Algerian side at home in the second leg of the game. This with the hope of qualifying for their first-ever semi-finals since 2013 before they could finish as runners-up.
Pirates were the first South African club to lift the CAF Championships back on December 16, 1995. This was after they had beaten Ivory Coast’s Asec Mimosa with goals scored by Jerry “Legs of Thunder” Skhosana. They were runners-up of the 2015 and 2021-22 CAF Confederations Cup.
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