Orlando Pirates can guarantee themselves a spot in CAF competition next year if they win the CAF Confederation Cup.
Read: Pirates Advance To CCC Final
The Buccaneers secured an impressive victory over Al Ahly last night in order to progress to this year's CCC final against Etoile du Sahel, and will face the Tunisian side over two legs next month.
Pirates' spot in the final has secured at least three more points for South Africa in CAF's Five-Year ranking system, making sure that Mzansi will continue to have two teams playing in both the CAF Champions League and CCC for the foreseeable future.
However, on top of that, a win for Pirates against Sahel could see South Africa end up with three places in next year's CCC, with the winners of the tournament automatically qualifying for the chance to defend their title the following year.
In South Africa the two teams that finish top of the Absa Premiership (Kaizer Chiefs and Mamelodi Sundowns) qualify for the CCL, with third place and the Nedbank Cup winner (Bidvest Wits and Ajax Cape Town) going into the CCC. With Pirates already failing to qualify for either tournament through those means, then they will join the two SA teams that do make it - should they win the trophy.
Pirates have already become the first South African side to play in the CCL and CCC finals, and now have a chance to become the first South African team to win them both.
