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Orlando Pirates of South Africa were held to a 0-0 draw at home by Algeria’s Mouloudia Alger on Wednesday but still advanced to the semi-finals of the CAF Champions League.
Pirates had won the first leg of the quarter-final 1-0 in Algiers last week, courtesy of a goal from Mohau Nkota, and progressed to the next stage with a 1-0 aggregate scoreline.
The upcoming semi-finals will see South African and Egyptian clubs battle for a place in the two-leg final. Mamelodi Sundowns will face a formidable challenge from record 12-time Champions League winners Al Ahly, while Pirates will take on Pyramids, the only semi-finalists yet to win the prestigious competition.
The quarter-finals saw Pirates as the only group winners to successfully progress, with Al Hilal of Sudan, FAR Rabat of Morocco, and Esperance of Tunisia all being eliminated.
Mouloudia arrived in Soweto, on the outskirts of Johannesburg, determined to overturn the aggregate deficit. The former champions had several chances late on to force a penalty shootout. Abdelkader Menezia saw a powerful header saved by goalkeeper Sipho Chaine, who was perfectly positioned, while substitute Ivorian Kipre Zunon squandered a close-range opportunity by firing wide.
Orlando Pirates also had a late chance in added time when substitute Tshegofatso Mabasa swivelled in the box, only for his low shot to strike the far post.
The South African club is aiming for a third appearance in the final. They won the title in 1995, defeating ASEC Mimosas of Ivory Coast, but lost to Ahly in the 2013 final.
