A Orlando Pirates legend has shared his expectations for the upcoming CAF Champions League match between Pyramids FC and the Buccaneers, issuing a caution to the Egyptian team.
Pyramids and Pirates battled to a goalless draw in a dramatic first leg of the Champions League semi-finals at the FNB Stadium last Saturday, with the match overshadowed by intense VAR controversies and referee disputes.
Despite the draw, the game highlighted the competitiveness and high standard of African continental football, with the Egyptian Premier League side presenting a strong challenge.
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The two teams will now face each other in the eagerly awaited decisive second leg of the semi-finals scheduled to take place at the 30 June Stadium in Cairo on Friday evening.
Speaking to Egyptian publication Telegraph Egypt, Moloi is confident that Pyramids possess the capability of winning the tie but cautioned that if Krunoslav Jurcic’s team resorts to defensive tactics, Pirates could emerge as winners.
"It was a surprise to us that Pyramids came out like that, they were a closed book, but for them to come to South Africa with a defensive strategy or a defensive philosophy based on hunting down Orlando Pirates on the counter-attack almost worked," Moloi told Telegraph Egypt.
"When you play at home, you have to play completely attacking. We don’t know if Pyramids will adopt the same style as the first leg, but if they play the same way they did in South Africa, I expect problems from the fans.
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"It happens a lot when we play in Egypt and if we have the ball for a long time, the fans start whistling and chanting and it makes the team feel uncomfortable, so I don’t think they will resort to defensive tactics this time," he added.
"However, the strange thing is that the Pyramids coach seemed a little nervous after the first leg. He kept repeating that Pyramids won 2-0 and that the VAR technology didn't do them justice. The coach must understand that in Egypt, fans are used to great coaches."
The victorious team between the two will clash in the final against either one-time Champions League winners Mamelodi Sundowns or Al Ahly, who have claimed the title 12 times.
