Orlando Pirates and Mamelodi Sundowns will both be minus the stress of having North African referees for the home legs of their CAF Champions League semi-finals on Saturday.
Pirates host Pyramids FC at FNB Stadium on Saturday (18:00) and will have Pacifique Ndabihawenimana as the referee.
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The Burundian referee has proven his quality over the years and is familiar with the other two of the Big Three clubs in South Africa.
Ndabihawenimana was in charge in the CAF Champions League final which Kaizer Chiefs lost to Al Ahly four years ago and also held the whistle at the beginning of last year when Sundowns won away at Nouadhibou.
He was the man in the middle when Pyramids lost to Esperance in a Group D match in December 2024.
In his most recent match, which was in the CAF Confederation Cup, he issued four yellow cards plus a red card when ASEC Mimosas lost to RS Berkane in a quarterfinal first leg.
Sundowns will also be at home for the first leg of their semi-final against Al Ahly at Loftus (15:00).
That match will have Somalian referee Omar Artan in the middle.
Artan was in charge earlier in the season when The Brazilians got past Mbabane Swallows in the preliminary rounds.
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The last Al Ahly match that he officiated was the Egyptians’ 1-0 defeat away at CR Belouizdad during the group stage in January.
Pirates and Sundowns will be hoping for fair officiating on both legs, which will also have VAR being used.
