Egyptian giants Zamalek have been in the country for three days as they prepare for their crucial CAF Confederations Cup encounter against Orlando Pirates at the Mbombela Stadium tomorrow.
The North African club landed in Johannesburg on Wednesday, before catching a connecting flight to Nelspruit.
The White Knights, as the club from Egypt is affectionately known, are currently top of their domestic league with 80 points from 34 games, winning 24, drawing eight and losing only twice.
They are leading champions Al Ahly by six points, with four games to play in the Egyptian Premier League, and they have a game in hand.
They only need to secure four points from their remaining fixtures to seal the championship from Al Ahly, who are also competing in the CAF Confederations Cup, topping the standings in Group A with three points.
In their last 12 games in the league and the CAF competition, Zamalek have managed to record eight wins, two losses and two draws, while scoring 24 goals and conceding only seven.
They have a number of quality players in the team, with the experienced Ahmed Eid undoubtedly one of the key members of the squad.
Eid scored through a penalty the last time Zama-lek and Pirates met in the return leg of the Caf Champions League in 2013, where the Egyptians won the encounter 2-1 in Cairo.
But the Buccaneers went through to the next stage of the competition after beating them 4-1 at home in the first leg.
The White Knights have been active, unlike Pirates, who have only been playing Caf games since the PSL season ended on May 9.
However, that could be an advantage for the Buccaneers with their opponents’ focus divided between chasing a league title and success on the continent while Pirates have their eyes firmly set on the Caf competition.
Another plus is that the home side’s players will be well rested while their Egyptian counterparts may be struggling with fatigue as they come to the end of a long domestic season.
The winner of this encounter will top Group B – both teams are currently level on three points after they won their opening games of the group stages.