Sport
Saturday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net
October 5, 2013
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CAF Champions League
Visiting Esperance of Tunisia looking set to battle Orlando Pirates in today’s CAF Champions League first semi-final tie in Johannesburg.
Orlando Pirates plot Esperance’s fall •As Al Ahly battle Coton Sport in Garoua ANDREW EKEJIUBA WITH AGENCY REPORT
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outh African club side, Orlando Pirates, will entertain visiting Tunisian side, Esperance, today in the first leg of 2013 CAF Champions League semi-final clash with some trepidation. Pirates supporters, starved of international success have asked the legion of club supporters to rally behind the team ahead of their clash with Esperance in Johannesburg. The supporters said continental success was the ultimate achievement adding even a clean sweep on the domestic front cannot be compared to winning Africa’s biggest club accolade. Arthur Faustino, Pirates’ selfclaimed number one supporter said he remembers 1995 success in Abidjan as if it happened yesterday. “We have won several other domestic trophies since then including many league titles but it still feels empty when you cannot emulate that in Africa. “Champions League success is what we need. It is the ultimate,” he said. “I see us winning 3-0 though today and when we go to Tunisia we will finish
off with a draw and go to the finals.” Devan Olivier, a Greek national who has made South Africa his permanent home said he would love Pirates to win this continental silverware, which will be the second time for the Soweto club. “We know it won’t be an easy game because Esperance is a big team. They have been in the finals so many times and have won it on many occasions as well which means that our players have to be on top of their game,” he affirmed. Orlando Pirates attacking midfielder, Daine Klate said the club was ready for the big Esperance game and that the visitors should expect a torrid 90 minutes in Soweto. “We are feeling very confident. We know this is a big one but we are ready for it. The general mood is that of excitement. “We are also past champions and we are a big club. We have been there before and we know what is expected of us as players and for the team as a whole. We are playing at home and we need a good result going into the second leg. This is a must win game for us and secondly we are playing at Orlando Stadium. Few teams come out alive in that slaughterhouse. A win will take us
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Orlando Pirates attacking midfielder, Daine Klate.
very closer to the finals and that’s what we need,” Klate said. However, Tunisian giants Esperance have promised to take the match to Orlando Pirates, saying they would attack for the entire 90 minutes. “This is the nature of our game. Our success over the past years has been built around taking the game to our opponents. We believe in soccer’s oldest adage that attacking is the best form of defence. “We are not going to sit back and allow Orlando Pirates to dictate pace on us. That type of soccer is against our culture of entertaining, attack and defend as a soccer unit,” said Coach Maher Kanzari. Meanwhile, Al Ahly will be away today to Conton Sport, Garoua of Cameroun in another second semi-final, first leg tie of the prestigious 2013 CAF Champions League. Coton Sport goalkeeper, Loïc Feudjou, says they have no option other than victory against visiting cup holders Al-Ahly at the Roumde Adjia Stadium today in Garoua. The shot-stopper said the ideal outcome remains victory if they are keen on advancing to the next stage of the premier continental club champion-
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ship. “We have been preparing quietly for this match. We have been training at the Roumde Adjia Stadium, the venue of the game and we are taking our sessions seriously. “Ahly is a good team, well organized and dangerous to play against. They are also dangerous with set pieces. Our coach has been working towards that to counter them. We fear no team at this stage and will work according to the coach’s instruction. “The ideal outcome is victory regardless of the scoreline. If we win at home, it will serve a great advantage to our qualification to the next stage. We have a good record from away games this season, and winning at home will be a good result. “I don’t think the fact that Ahly is a North African club should worry us. We lost against Esperance (Tunisia) at the group stage, but it was due to specific reasons. We lost 0-2 in the first meeting in Rades, and 1-2 in the reverse fixture in Garoua, but the latter was due to the fact that we had already qualified and the coach gave chance to some new players. However, we are capable of beating Ahly in Garoua,” Feudjou said.
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