CAF Champions League Report: Horoya v Orlando Pirates 16 March 2019

Pirates needed to claim all three points in order to qualify but failed to do so despite controlling the match and will rue missing two golden opportunities in the first half. Meanwhile, the Guineans have progressed to the quarter-finals for the second year in a row.   It was a fast start for Horoya as their captain Ocansey Mandela fired at goal in the opening minute. His shot had the beating of Wayne Sandilands as it came off the outside of the upright and went out for a goal-kick.   In the seventh minute, Pirates were denied what looked like a legitimate penalty when Thamsanqa Gabuza was shoved in the back while clear through on goal. Indeed, the Buccanneers seemed to have the upper-hand in the match, enjoying the majority of the possession.   Winger Luvuyo Memela was having a lot of joy down the visitors' right-hand flank and looked their most potent attacking weapon, linking up well with his teammates and regularly finding space on the overlap.   The Bucs were forced in to an early change with the injured Xolani Mlambo coming off to be replaced by Augustine Mulenga.   On the half-hour mark, the visitors had a gilt-edged opportunity to take the lead. Mulenga nutmegged his man and surged upfield before finding Innocent Maela who got to the byline on the left-hand flank and cut the ball back for Memela, who could only balloon the ball over the bar from five yards out.   Soon after, Pirates were again guilty of not taking an easy chance. Mulenga was having an impact on the match, his defence splitting pass feeding Gabuza, who swivelled and sent his effort over when it looked easier to score.   On the stroke of half-time, Mandela's long-range effort was excellently saved by Sandilands as the sides went in to the interval locked at 0-0.   Four minutes after the interval, Abdoulaye Camara thread the ball through the eye of the needle for Mandela, who did well to leave Bulelani Ndengane for dead but could only skew his close-range effort horribly wide.   Camara turned from creator to scorer in the 57th minute when his long-range effort took a wicked deflection and beat a sprawling Sandilands. It truly was a dagger to the heart of the South African side.   Pirates coach Milutin Sredojevic responded by throwing on another striker in the form of Justin Shonga. But it did little to help matters as they were punished for pushing more players forward when Horoya grabbed their second in the 73rd minute.    Mandela, who had been a constant thorn in the Pirates' defence all afternoon, scored a magnificent individual effort after weaving his way past a couple of Pirates defenders before putting the ball through Sandilands' legs from a tight angle. The goal was given to Boniface Haba, despite replays showing the ball had crossed the line before he got a touch.   10 minutes later, the hosts almost had a third but Amadou Wonkoye's rasping effort was brilliantly saved by Sandilands. Substitute Shonga pulled one back for the visitors in stoppage-time with a neat finish. It mattered little, however, as it was Horoya who progressed to the quarter-finals of the CAF Champions League.