Orlando Pirates secured their spot in the CAF Confederation Cup semi-finals with a 4-3 penalty shoot-out win over Simba SC on Sunday night.
Pirates made five changes from the 1-0 loss in the first-leg, as they recalled Thembinkosi Lorch, Terrence Dzvukamanja, Fortune Makaringe, Abel Mabaso and Olisa Ndah while Simba were without Bernard Morrison after he was denied a visa.
The hosts had a quick start, as Dzvukamanja forced goalkeeper Aishi Manula into a diving save with a low strike in the box while Kwame Peprah could not capitalise on the rebound.
Pirates were campedin Simba's half for most of the first stanza and Deon Hotto had a chance to break the deadlock just before the half-hour mark with a threatening free-kick that sailed just wide.
However, the one-way traffic for the Buccaneers was halted in the latter stages of the second stanza, as Pablo Franco's charges grew in the game but they were yet to trouble goalkeeper Richard Ofori as they went into the halftime break with a 1-0 lead on aggregate.
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Pirates went on an all-out attack early in the second stanza but Simba could not deal with their pressure, as they were reduced to ten men just before the hour-mark after Kope Mugalu was shown a red card for a lunging tackle on Ndah after a Video Assistant Referee (VAR) review.
The Soweto giants eventually broke the deadlock immediately after that and made it 1-1 on aggregate after Peprah powered home a header into the top corner from a cross by Innocent Maela.
The hosts continued to have the attacking momentum but they could not break Simba's low block, which Malawi international Gabadinho Mhango introduced in place of Peprah while Kabelo Dlamini replaced Maela.
The Buccaneers had a penalty appeal in the dying minutes after a ball hit the arm of Joash Onyango in the box but the referee did not review the incident on the VAR monitor, before Mntambo went close with a glancing header in stoppage time that came off the post.
There was still time for drama in stoppage time as Hotto's header appeared to have hit the arm of a Simba player in the box but the referee did not consult the pitch-side VAR monitor again and blew his full-time whistle, as the sides went straight to penalty shoot-out.
Ofori was the hero for Pirates in the shoot-out, as he saved the first penalty and scored the last to give the hosts a 4-3 win and a place in the semi-finals.
Confirmed line-ups:
Pirates: Ofori, Shandu, Maela, Ndah, Nyauza, Mabasa, Makaringe, Hotto, Lorch, Dzukamanja, Peprah
Subs: Jele, Motshwari, Ndlovu, T. Mabasa, Dlamini, Mosele, Mhango.