AFRICAN CONFEDERATION CUP 2015 - Semi-finals - 1st leg - preview

AFRICAN CONFEDERATION CUP 2015

Semi-final 
1st leg 

26.09.15: Orland Pirates vs Al Ahly -:-
27.09.15: Etoile du Sahel vs Zamalek -:-

Orlando Pirates of South Africa and Al Ahly of Egypt go into a Confederation Cup semi-final in Soweto this weekend nursing hangovers induced by fellow title contenders Zamalek.

The Cairo club ran Pirates ragged en route to a 4:1 triumph two weekends ago during the final round of group games in the second-tier African club competition.

This week, Confederation Cup title-holders Ahly were the victims of resurgent Zamalek, losing 2:0 in the Egypt FA Cup final after Bassem Morsy bagged an opening-half brace.

"Our confidence took a big knock after the game against Zamalek," admitted Pirates coach and 1996 Africa Cup of Nations-winning midfielder Eric Tinkler.

"We are so sad after losing to Zamalek - we made many defensive mistakes and luck was not on our side," lamented Ahly coach Fathy Mabrouk.

Pirates and Ahly, who meet Saturday at Orlando Stadium in the first leg, know each other well having met four times during the 2013 African Champions League.

The South Africans won 3:0 away - a record home defeat for Ahly in a Confederation of African Football match - and were held 0:0 at home during the group stage.

But Ahly forced a 1:1 away draw in the first leg of the final and triumphed 2:0 at home to lift the Champions League a record-extending eighth time.

A relief for Pirates is that 2013 tormentor-in-chief Mohamed Aboutrika, who claimed a goal in each leg of the final, has retired, but the other scorer, Ahmed Abdel Zaher, travelled to Johannesburg this week.

Pirates suffered a massive midweek blow when captain and midfield conductor Oupa Manyisa fractured an ankle during a domestic league game.

Manyisa and striker Kermit Erasmus are the leading Confederation Cup scorers for the Buccaneers this season with four goals each.

Suspensions rule out experienced defenders Happy Jele and Siyabonga Sangweni, leaving Pirates vulnerable at the back as Tinkler demands a "clean sheet".

Injuries and suspensions have also hit Ahly, winners of a record 19 CAF titles, with defender Bassem Ali, midfielder Hossam Ghaly and winger Walid Soliman missing the Soweto showdown.

Zamalek are away to 2006 Confederation Cup winners Etoile du Sahel of Tunisia on Sunday in Mediterranean resort Sousse in the other first leg.

Algeria-born striker Baghdad Bounedjah carries a heavy burden for Etoile as he must unlock a Zamalek defence that conceded just four goals in six group games.

Bounedjah has scored six of 13 Etoile goals in Africa this season, but must operate without injured Guinea-born attacking partner Alkhaly Bangoura.

Zamalek, whose stern Portuguese coach Jesualdo Ferreira must take a lot of the credit for the revival, are overdue a CAF title with the last of nine coming 13 years ago.

The second legs are scheduled for next weekend in Cairo and Suez.