Orlando Pirates sealed their CAF Confederation Cup quarter-final spot as Group B winners after playing to a goalless draw against Al-Ittihad on Sunday evening.
CAF Confederation Cup
Result: Orlando Pirates 0-0 Al-Ittihad
Date: 03 April 2022
Venue: Orlando Stadium
Pirates made three changes from the side that beat JS Saoura, as Bongani Sam made his first start in the tournament alongside the return of Ben Motshwari and Fortune Makaringe.
The Buccaneers were on the front foot in the opening exchanges and Bandile Shandu had a chance give them the lead after goalkeeper Muad Allafi spilled a cross on his path in the box but he could not find the target.
Al-Ittihad were defending deep in their own half and Pirates only came close to breaking the deadlock nine minutes before the half-time break from a clever free-kick by Kabelo Dlamini on the edge of the box that missed the bottom corner by a whisker.
The hosts should have been ahead a couple of minutes later after Dlamini went through on goal and played a cross that needed a tap-in but Makaringe fluffed his chance with the net gaping.
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Al-Ittihad came out firing in the second stanza as Mohammad Zubya almost broke the deadlock three minutes from the restart with a header at the back post that sailed slightly over crossbar from a corner.
However, the Libyan side went back to defending in numbers and not giving Pirates spaces in dangerous positions, which prompted the coaching staff to make a double change 25 minutes before time as Thembinkosi Lorch and Gabadinho Mhango replaced Kwame Peprah and Shandu.
Despite the attacking changes, the Buccaneers lacked the finesse to find a way past the visitors' defence while Richard Ofori barely had a save to make in the seocnd half.
Nevertheless, 0-0 was how the encounter finished as Pirates finished top of the group while Al-Ittihad qualify as runners-up.
Here's how they lined up:
Pirates: Ofori, Jele, Nyauza, Mabaso, Sam, Motshwari, Makaringe, Shandu, Mako, Dlamini, Peprah
Subs: Mpontshane, Maela, Jooste, Hlatshwayo, Makgaka, Mabasa, Ndlovu, Mhango, Lorch
