Johannesburg – Orlando Pirates took down the might of TP Mazembe in some style on Saturday night, giving them more than a fighting chance of making the group stages of the Caf Champions League.
Collins Mbesuma’s late penalty ensured that Roger de Sa’s side take some breathing space to Lubumbashi for the second leg in two weeks, a fantastic result against one of the powerhouses of continental football in recent years.
If Pirates were excellent, Mazembe were defensively dreadful, and the scoreline, in truth, could have been more embarrassing for the DR Congo giants. Lubumbashi, however, is likely to be an entirely more testing arena, and Pirates’ wild celebrations at the final whistle smacked of being a touch premature.
Still, it is hard to begrudge De Sa’s men their happiness, after what was a display full of energy and attacking prowess, in stark contrast to their recent domestic displays.
A thunderous roar greeted the teams just before kick-off, but ironically it came from TP Mazembe fans, their supporters coming in their numbers to make Orlando their home for the night.
It is a sad indictment of how badly Champions League football is supported in this country that for a visitor from another planet, it would have been difficult to tell which was the home team at Orlando Stadium. It is tough enough to win a continental title, and even more difficult if you have no significant home advantage.
Pirates, however, belied their rather subdued backing with a brilliant start. The game was not yet two minutes old when Nigerian midfielder Onyekachi Okonkwo curled a glorious shot from the edge of the box past Mazembe’s international goalkeeper Muteba Kidiaba.
Mazembe looked shell-shocked, their defending all over the place. Mbesuma breezed past his compatriot, Zambian centre-back Hichani Himonde, and was clean through on goal, but struck his shot straight at Kidiaba, who saved. The ball came back to Mbesuma, but he bizarrely chose to let it go out for a corner.
Pirates might have had a woeful run in the league, but they were enjoying their continental break, wingers Tlou Segolela and Khethowakhe Masuku running their respective full-backs, Richard Boateng and Eric Nkulukuta, utterly ragged.
Boateng was booked for getting himself too close to a Segolela free-kick, and Nkulukuta limped off before the break, to be replaced by Mianga Ndonga. Pirates, meanwhile, continued to waste terrific openings.
Segolela’s ball to the back post found Masuku, but he cut the ball across goal when he might have tried his luck.
Segolela’s shot was then spilled by Kidiaba, but Ayanda Gcaba slammed the follow up straight into the Mazembe ’keeper. Kidiaba then had to be alert to tip over Masuku’s fizzing corner.
Mazembe were nowhere, hardly looking like the force that dominated the continent in 2009 and 2010. The odd sweet touch from Tresor Mputu aside, they barely threatened the Pirates defence.
An Mputu touch, however, helped them to an equaliser on the stroke of half-time, his brilliant cross finding Tanzanian striker Mbwana Samatta at the back post, who headed the ball back for Patou Kabangu to slot home, with the Pirates marking non-existent.
At the other end of the field, Kidiaba pulled out his famous bottom-dance.
It was a crucial away goal and a nasty blow to Pirates, who could and probably should already have been three goals to the good.
Segolela found more space at the start of the second half, his ball across the face of goal just failing to find Masuku.
Zambian international Rainford Kalaba, anonymous on the night, then worked an angle inside the area, but fired into the side-netting.
Instead, it was Pirates who went in front, Masuku crossing for Mbesuma, who swept his shot past Kidiaba. Pirates were back in the ascendancy and Mbesuma rifled in another shot that Kidiaba, awkwardly kept out.
Rudolf Bester then wasted a glorious opportunity to extend the Buccaneers’ lead, running onto a wonderful lofted pass from Lehlohonolo Masalesa, but firing too close to the Mazembe ’keeper.
But Pirates did get the third goal their performance deserved at the death, Mbesuma going down under Kidiaba’s challenge, Swazi referee Smanga Nhleko pointing to the spot. The Pirates striker picked himself up and made no mistake.
Pirates’ continental dream is well and truly alive. – Sunday Independent