DailySun
Johannesburg – Bafana Bafana player Percy Tau made his appearance in the second half as a substitute for Al Ahly during their CAF Champions League face-off against Orlando Pirates on Saturday, which ended in a 0-0 draw.
In the sweltering heat, the matchup between Pirates and Al Ahly concluded without any goals at the bustling Orlando Stadium, which has a capacity of 40,000 and is situated in Soweto, south of Johannesburg.
As anticipated, the highly anticipated match kicked off slowly.
The opening 30 minutes saw a see-saw battle in midfield, with neither side managing a single shot on target.
Both coaches utilized a moment to regroup when Mauritanian referee Abdel Aziz Bouh signaled a cooling break at the one-hour mark, as temperatures soared to 34 degrees Celsius inside the stadium.
Post-break, Pirates’ star player Monapule Saleng attempted a shot that was deflected but skillfully saved by Mohamed El Shenawy, marking the first shot on goal for the South African team.
In good form, Saleng continued to pose a threat with another strong attempt from outside the box, though this effort just missed the mark.
Thalente Mbatha almost caught Al Ahly goalkeeper El Shenawy off-guard with a powerful right-foot shot from distance, but he failed to convert it on target.
All eyes were on Bafana Bafana winger Percy Tau after he came onto the pitch in the 62nd minute, joining Mohamed Magdy as substitutes for Wessam Abou Ali and Emam Ashour.
Reacting to Marcel Koller’s substitutions, Jose Reveiro introduced Mohau Nkotha, the hero from their previous match against CR Belouizdad, along with Tshegofatso Mabasa, replacing Evidence Makgopa and Deon Hotto.
After 77 minutes of play, the referee called for another cooling break as the heat persisted.
Pirates’ goalkeeper Sipho Chaine showcased remarkable reflexes, denying a goal from Al Ahly’s Hussein El Shehat following a powerful shot in the 31st minute.
Displaying his agility and talent, Tau earned a free kick for the Egyptian team after being fouled by Pirates’ substitute Miguel Tim.
Unfortunately for the 12-time champions, Chaine made an outstanding save to block Magdy’s direct free kick aimed at the goal.
Pirates and Al Ahly remain tied with four points in Group C, as both teams had strong starts in their continental tournament against CR Belouizdad and Stade d’Abidjan, respectively.
Pirates XI: Chaine, Sibisi, Hotto, Sesane, Van Rooyen, Mako, Mbatha, Makhaula, Mofokeng, Saleng, Makgopa
Subs: Buthelezi, Monyane, Timm, Dlamini, Maela, Kimvuidi, Nkota, Gilberto
Coach: Jose Riveiro
Al Ahly SC XI: El Shenawy, Rabia, Yasser, Yahya, Omar, Akram, Marawan, Emam, Reda, Taher, Wessam
Subs: Ibrahim, Soliman, Tau, Hassan, Dari, Hussein, El Soulia, Moursy
Coach: Marcel Koller
