Johannesburg – Bafana Bafana player Percy Tau came off the bench in the second half for Al Ahly during their CAF Champions League encounter with Orlando Pirates on Saturday, which ended in a goalless draw.
Amidst the scorching heat, the match between Pirates and Al Ahly concluded without any goals at the congested 40,000-capacity Orlando Stadium, situated in Soweto, south of Johannesburg.
As anticipated, the eagerly awaited match kicked off slowly.
The initial thirty minutes featured a tug-of-war in midfield, with neither team managing to register a single shot on target.
Both coaches took the opportunity to regroup when Mauritanian referee Abdel Aziz Bouh called for a cooling break at the hour mark, as the stadium’s temperature rose to 34 degrees Celsius.
Post-break, Pirates’ standout Monapule Saleng had his deflected shot skillfully tipped over by Mohamed El Shenawy, which marked the first shot on target for the South African team.
In fine form, Saleng continued to pose a threat with another powerful attempt from outside the box, though this effort narrowly missed its mark.
In a potential scoring situation, Thalente Mbatha nearly caught Al Ahly keeper El Shenawy off-guard with a strong right-footed strike from outside the box, but he was unable to find the target.
Spotlight shifted to Bafana Bafana winger Percy Tau upon his entry in the 62nd minute, joining Mohamed Magdy as they replaced Wessam Abou Ali and Emam Ashour respectively.
In response to Marcel Koller’s substitutions, Jose Reveiro brought in Mohau Nkotha, who starred in their last outing against CR Belouizdad, along with Tshegofatso Mabasa, replacing Evidence Makgopa and Deon Hotto.
After 77 minutes of play, the match referee called for yet another cooling break, as the relentless heat persisted.
Pirates’ goalkeeper Sipho Chaine exhibited remarkable reflexes, blocking a strong shot from Al Ahly’s Hussein El Shehat in the 31st minute, denying the reigning champions a goal.
Displaying his agility and skill, Tau earned a free kick for the Egyptian giants after being fouled by Pirates’ second-half substitute Miguel Tim.
Unfortunately for the 12-time champions, Chaine delivered a stunning save to prevent Magdy’s direct free kick from hitting the target.
Pirates and Al Ahly remain tied on four points in Group C, with both teams starting their continental campaigns strongly 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
