Buccaneers seek comeback in CAFCC tie

Kwame Peprah of Orlando Pirates challenged by Imadeddine Boubekeur of JS Saoura during the CAF Confederation Cup 2021/22 match between Orlando Pirates and JS Saoura at Orlando Stadium in Soweto on the 13 February 2022 ©Muzi Ntombela/BackpagePix

by Staff Reporter

Saturday Apr 23, 2022. 16:00

Orlando Pirates will look to mount a comeback in their CAF Confederation Cup quarertfinal tie against Simba SC, with the return leg set for the Orlando Stadium in Soweto on the evening of Sunday 24 April, kick-off at 18:00 CAT.

The first leg in the National Stadium in Dar es Salaam last Sunday ended 1-0 in favour of the hosts, with their goal coming midway through the second half via a penalty from Shomari Kapombe.

However, Pirates were left incensed by perceived refereeing mistakes from Tunisia’s Haythem Guirat, leading to co-coach Mandla Ncikazi to rail against his team’s treatment in Tanzania.

“I’m not happy about what happened today, firstly as Africans we should change the mentality that whenever another team visits your country, they have to receive every bit of hostility and treat them like animals,” said Ncikazi.

“This is a game of sport that should unite us and build relationships, but we have received the opposite while we are here and everyone here should be ashamed of themselves.”

This has sparked a war of words, with Simba CEO Barbara Gonzalez hitting back with an official complaint to CAF.

“If you want to play mind games, I would like to ask him to keep my country out of his mouth and also my team,” Gonzalez said. “No such things happened, and even if PSG would like to come, they will be treated with the same hospitality.

“But for someone to go as far as saying Simba was abusive or didn’t give them support and was hostile was absolutely incorrect. All the support that was required was given, and Simba has never been a bad host. We want to take this further. I want to use this as a teachable moment.”

Regardless of the off-field ructions, Pirates will need to up their game if they are to get back into the tie, having put in a disjointed showing in Tanzania. Simba, meanwhile, will seek an away goal to give them a huge advantage in the tie.

Referee Bernard Camille of the Seychelles will take charge of the game at Orlando Stadium. The aggregate winners will face a Libyan team in the semifinals, either Al Ahli or Al Ittihad.