LIVE: CAF Champions League - Orlando Pirates vs Pyramids

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Orlando Pirates have another crunch fixture to negotiate in the CAF Champions League as they host Egyptian outfit Pyramids.

The two sides square off in the all-important first leg of their semi-final tie taking place at FNB Stadium on Saturday.

Kick-off is at 18:00.

It’s a change of scenery and a welcome return to familiar territory for the Soweto giants, who are in the last four of the competition for the first time since finishing the 2013 edition as runners-up.

They meet one of the newest names in the big time in the form of the Cairo-based outfit, who have assembled a formidable squad over the past few years.�

Orlando Pirates safely navigated the challenge of Algeria’s MC Alger in the quarter-finals, winning 1-0 away from home before clinging on for a goalless draw in the deciding leg at Orlando Stadium.

They are now presented with a different task, having to make the most of their home advantage first up and not leave themselves too much to do in the away leg in Cairo.

Only 180 minutes separates either side from a spot in the final, with the Buccaneers chasing another title to add to their historic 1995 triumph while coming up against one of Africa’s most ambitious outfits, still in search of their maiden continental crown in their first appearance in the knockout stages of the prestigious tournament.

It’s a first-ever meeting between the two sides with Pyramids poised to take in the unique atmosphere of The Calabash for the first time in their brief history.

Ahead of the clash, a look at the challenge posed by the Egyptians.

Recent form: W-W-L-D-L

Pyramids head into their game against Orlando Pirates on the back of a 2-0 defeat away to domestic rivals Haras El Hodoud in the group stage of the Egyptian League Cup earlier in the week.

They are currently winless in their last three games, which include the away leg of their CAF Champions League quarter-final tie against AS FAR and a stalemate in a league playoff encounter with Al Ahly.

The result against the Red Devils was achieved despite being a man short for most of the second half, and was preceded by two convincing wins – one in the league against National Bank plus a routing of AS FAR in Cairo.

Despite some of their recent disappointments they are within touching distance of glory in both their domestic league and the CAF Champions League and will need to overturn their away form if they are to survive in the latter.

Attacking powerhouse�

The Buccaneers’ unbeaten run in the tournament will be tested across both legs as they encounter the team with statistically the best attack in the competition, averaging 2.3 goals per game.

The Egyptians finished the group stage with 14 goals, the highest tally across the 16 teams that participated in that stage of the competition.

They were not only impressive on one end of the pitch, with their defensive discipline ranking among the best as they let in just four goals in their six round-robin fixtures.

The jeopardy of the knockout phase did little to curtail Pyramids who found the net four times at home in the opening leg of their quarter-final against AS FAR, taking a handy 4-1 lead in tie which finished in their favour with a 4-3 aggregate score.

Their attacking prowess has also been evident in their domestic league where they finished the regular season top of the goal-scoring charts with 32 goals in 17 matches.

They have however been significantly more clinical at home, with their away fixtures yielding only 11 of those goals.

Nonetheless, they have proven unpredictable on the road in the CAF Champions League.

They have achieved their joint-biggest winning margin away from home, thumping Tanzanian outfit JKU 6-0 in the first qualifying round.

Key players

Ramadan Sobhi:�The ex-Stoke City midfielder has been influential from various positions in the midfield, serving as one of the Egyptians’ main creative outlets. Sobhi boasts the most assists in the competition with five to his name, and his ability to slot into different positions adds an unpredictable element to his side’s attacking play.

Fiston Mayele:�While Pyramids boasts a number of goal threats, the Congolese striker is undoubtedly the most productive with six goals scored in the CAF Champions League this season. The pacey centre-forward is clinical in front of goal and regularly puts away difficult chances.

Ahmed El Shenawy:�The Egyptian shot-stopper is an experienced figure between the poles and one the leaders in the Pyramids setup. He has kept 14 clean sheets across competitions this season, including three in the CAF Champions League.

Record in South Africa

While set to square off against the Buccaneers for the first time in their history, the Egyptians have stepped on South African shores before.

They last did so during the group stage of the 2023/24 CAF Champions League, holding Mamelodi Sundowns to a goalless draw at Loftus Versfeld.

Previously, they encountered Marumo Gallants at the New Peter Mokaba Stadium in the deciding leg of the CAF Confederation Cup quarter-finals, falling narrowly short as a first-half strike from Celimpilo Ngema ended their campaign with the South African outfit winning 2-1 on aggregate.

About Pyramids

The club was originally founded in 2008 as Al Assiouty Sport, based in Beni Seuf.

It would take them six years to make their Egyptian Premier League debut, but that high was soon followed by the low of relegation after one season.

A change in ownership in 10 years after their did not only come with a change of name, but also meant a different home as they relocated over 100km to Cairo.

Pyramids changed ownership once more in 2019, the same year they debuted in CAF interclub competition with participation in the 2019/20 CAF Confederation Cup.

They finished as runners-up three times in their domestic league, and have so far collected one major trophy in the form of the Egypt Cup.

Having made it to the last four of the continent’s premier competition, they will be determined to go all the way but face a formidable hurdle in a Bucs side that has proven difficult to beat.