South African contenders Mamelodi Sundowns and Orlando Pirates will chase upset leads to Egypt after they face Al Ahly and Pyramids FC respectively, within the return legs of their CAF Champions League semifinal ties on Friday night.
Al Ahly and Sundowns will meet within the early-evening conflict on the Cairo Worldwide Stadium, having performed to a 0-0 draw within the first leg in Pretoria final Saturday.
Not having a result in take to the Egyptian capital makes the Brazilians the underdogs – particularly in opposition to the reigning and file 12-time champions – however coach Miguel Cardoso is upbeat about their probabilities.
“I nonetheless imagine we will beat Al Ahly as a result of we did not lose to them [in the first leg]. There’s a lot to be performed for nonetheless and we will do this out of perception and capability for what we will placed on the pitch,” stated the Portuguese tactician.
“We’re going there anticipating a distinct match. Whoever goes via, the opposite staff won’t be pleased.
“However whoever goes via might be robust as a result of these are the 2 greatest groups in Africa. One will undergo in the long run, however I hope we may be robust sufficient to manage.”
Cardoso’s counterpart on the Pink Eagles, Marcel Koller, has warned the South African membership of a extra aggressive method within the return recreation.
“We all know already the purpose, now we have not scored [an away] aim,” stated the Swiss coach. “In Cairo, now we have to attain two targets, we all know that.
“In the beginning, I stated solely the halftime is over, now we have one other halftime of the sport, and we should always have 100 per cent focus in Cairo within the second recreation.”
The later kick-off on Friday night comes from the 30 June Stadium in Cairo, as Pyramids FC host Orlando Pirates.
The groups additionally drew 0-0 of their first-leg conflict, held in Soweto final Saturday. In that conflict, the Egyptian guests twice had targets disallowed by VAR and put up a show, which suggests they’ve the Buccaneers’ quantity – although Pirates coach Jose Riveiro has a sense that the away targets rule may play strongly into his staff’s arms.
“We will Egypt to attempt to get the outcome that we want, due to the foundations of the competitors and the attainable double worth of [away] targets,” stated the Spanish tactician, who is about to go away Pirates on the finish of the season.
“This 0-0 [scoreline from the first leg] is a difficult outcome for each groups, so we will anticipate a extremely attention-grabbing second leg, and belief me, we’ll do every little thing to make it attainable to go to the ultimate.”
The 2 mixture winners will advance into the ultimate, which is about to be performed over two legs on Saturday 24 Might and Sunday 1 June.
CAF Champions League fixtures
Occasions CAT. Combination rating in parenthesis.
Friday 25 April
6pm: Al Ahly v Mamelodi Sundowns (0-0)
8pm: Pyramids FC v Orlando Pirates (0-0)
