Johannesburg - A moment of brilliance or madness is likely to decide whether the CAF Confederation Cup stays in Sousse with Etoile du Sahel, or Orlando Pirates return with it on Wednesday from Tunisia.
That’s because of how much the clubs know about each other, having done extensive research before the first leg of the final at Orlando Stadium last Saturday.
Two of the most lethal strikers in this competition, Pirates’ Kermit Erasmus and Sahel’s Baghdad Bounedjah, were closed down because of that extensive knowledge. The pair, who are also in the running for the CAF African-based Footballer of the Year award, were left frustrated because they hardly got space to make their dangerous runs.
It took the brilliance of Thamsanqa Gabuza to power Pirates into the lead before a moment of madness, where Issa Sarr conceded a needless free kick four minutes before fulltime. Happy Jele tried to clear the ball but instead headed it towards the path of Ammar Jemal, who scored Sahel’s crucial away goal in the 1-1 draw at Orlando Stadium.
The two clubs cancelled each other throughout 90 minutes, which means that a Plan B is needed for the side that will sleep on Sunday night victorious. Pirates coach Eric Tinkler understands that. It will be in his mind when Pirates leave for Tunisia today.
“I look at all those elements after the game when I re-watched it, it was difficult for Kermit to create space for himself,” Tinkler said. “Some of that was because of their marking but some of that was because of our movement. We didn’t give ourselves too much space. We need to create that.
“We noticed that they do have weaknesses that we can exploit. We spoke to the players about how they will try to create space for themselves and others in order to be able to penetrate them.”
Lehlogonolo Masalesa and Sarr are likely to be partnered in midfield with Thandani Ntshumayelo suspended for the match. Pirates will come up against a stingy Sahel that has only conceded twice at home with a solid record in front of their fans.
This will further test the character of the Buccaneers, who came from 2-0 down to draw 2-2 with CF Mounana in the second round. Al-Ahly also tested Pirates in Suez, coming back from being 2-0 down to win 4-3 and dethrone the Egyptians who are the tournament’s reigning champions. Sahel’s brick-wall stands between the Sea Robbers sharpshooters.
“If you look at their record at home, they haven’t lost a match and they don’t concede that much.
“They are going to look to protect what they have. We need to take advantage of that. This is an opportunity of a lifetime. We have nothing to lose. We have to go there and look to get a goal,” Tinkler added. - Cape Times