Menzi Magubane
A win against ES Setif in the CAF Confederation Cup at Orlando Stadium on Wednesday afternoon would have seen the Bucs through to the quarter-finals with a game to spare – but that wasn’t to be.
However, the Buccaneers are still on top of Group A with nine points, though things could change by Thursday with second place Enyimba who they still have to play.
Bucs face Enyimba in the last Group A match next Wednesday in Nigeria and a win or a draw will secure them through to the last eight.
For the first time in this campaign Pirates failed to score at home and worse the Algerians were not sitting back. In fact the visitors had more scoring chances than the home team.
Thanks to keeper Siyabonga Mpontshane Bucs remained in the game when he cleared the ball right under Lomotey’s foot in a one-on-one situation.
Mpontshane sustained an injury from that action and Pirates brought in Wayne Sandilands.
Bucs only got their first clear cut chance in the second half after Tshegofatso Mabasa blasted the ball over the bar with only the keeper to beat.
Sandilands made telling saves to keep the Buccaneers in the match. Setif, who have five points, are not out of the race yet but they will hope that the match between Enyimba and Al Ahly Benghazi ends in a draw, leaving them on the same number of points as Benghazi whom they face in the last match.
Picture source:@iol
