By NJABULO NGIDI
Orlando Stadium
Orlando Pirates (1) 1
(Gabuza 36)
Etoile du Sahel (0) 1
(Jemal 86)
The Ghost heed the call to fill up the stadium. But the demon that saw Pirates lose the final of the 2013 CAF Champions League stole the show.
That demon is failing to keep a clean sheet, making Ammar Jemal’s late goal worth gold for Sahel who returned to Sousse at midnight confident of lifting their second CAF Confederation Cup next week Sunday.
Sahel coach, Faouzi Benzarti, boasted that he knows a lot about Pirates, having watched their road to the final where their defensive frailties were exposed. They made up for that with a dominant attack. It showed that Benzarti did his homework as his players didn’t give Thabo Matlaba space to make his surging runs up the left-flank. Whenever he received the ball he was quickly closed down by two or three players while Hamza Lahmar was on him like a shadow.
But the pintsized fullback managed break from those shackles, setting up Thamsanqa Gabuza whose shot almost broke the net. The goal was like the thunder that has terrorised Johannesburg throughout this week. Matlaba came with the flash from his lighting speed to setup a Gabuza who had Zied Boughattas and the net in his back. He controlled it with his left foot on a turn and unleashed thunder with the right.
Zied Jebali could only pretend to dive for it such was it’s ferocity. The poor goalkeeper only started this match because their number one choice, Aymen Mathlouthi, failed a late fitness test.
The momentum of scoring such a goal at this level carried Gabuza who ran half the pitch – with no brave soul standing in front of him to stop this Gandaganda – who voluntarily stopped in front of the man who gave him the break to rub shoulders with the best in the continent. His goal tied him on six with Baghdad Bounedjah, who like Gabuza is well-built with pace. The strike gave the Buccaneers the lead going to halftime, much to the frustration of Sahel who had four members of their technical team storm referee Janny Sikwaze.
The Zambian whistle-man needed a four-man escort from very buff men to leave the pitch. They towered over the Sahel quartet, forcing them to do the sensible thing and go to the change room. One of those gentlemen, along with the club’s executive director Hussein Jenayah, was sent off in the second half because of their confrontational attitude towards the officials.
The Tunisians gave the Buccaneers’ glimpses of what to expect in Sousse on Sunday in the second leg. A flare was lit in the stands and the players harassed the referee with every decision made against them.
The Ghost returned the favour with some lasers shone in the eyes of Sahel players. Lahmar, with the laser in his face, calmly stroke a well-taken free-kick that beat Felipe Ovono but not the woodwork. That showed that the outfit is used to them but most importantly can keep their composure on the biggest stage.
Eric Tinkler joked on the eve of the match that he hasn’t been sleeping much. He probably didn’t sleep last night, tossing and turning thinking how he will make sure that this away goal doesn’t hurt them. He was there when Al-Ahly taught them a lesson of making the most of home advantage, punishing them in Cairo as the Egyptians lifted their eight Champions League title.
But what should make brief stints of sleep visit him is the fact that the Buccaneers have been impressive on the road, even dethroning the then reigning Confederation Cup champions Al-Ahly when they wiped the floor with them. The club has already wiped the cabinet of where they will put their third continental title but they have to bring it the hard way.