Johannesburg - Orlando Pirates’ bid for another African Champions League title fizzled out inside a sea of red of Al-Ahly, the Egyptian giants affirming why it has become known as their cup as they claimed it for the eighth time.
Winning the continent’s most-prized club competition was always going to be a tall order for Pirates, but really, Roger de Sa’s men have themselves to blame after squandering at least two great chances which ought to have put the opposition on the backfoot.
Instead of taking them, the Buccaneers allowed Mohamed Aboutraika - whose goal put the Egyptians ahead in the drawn first leg at Orlando nine days ago - to put the hosts in charge a few minutes into the second half, before Ahmed Abdelzaher sealed a victory which ensured Ahly retain the title they won last year.
Clearly disappointed at the final whistle, Pirates players hurled themselves onto the turf, some with tears flowing amid pandemonium, but there can be no disputing that, upon their return to South Africa on Tuesday, they will be seen as heroes despite falling short in this final.
Bucs defied the toughest odds to reach their second final since 1995, notably winning unexpectedly against sides such as DR Congo’s TP Mazembe and Esperance of Tunisia, and inside this venue on Sunday night, it did not get any easier. They had to contend with a maddening traffic jam just to reach this venue, Bucs reporting that they were delayed for an hour as Ahly’s throngs of fans formed a mass around the stadium in an attempt to force their way in.
Authorities had vowed to limit the number of supporters to under 25 000, but clearly over 35 000 crammed into this venue, some clambering on to the stadium’s scoreboard just to get a glimpse of the action.
Thousands others were locked outside, but those inside ensured Pirates did not enjoy their time from the moment the South African side took a pre-match walk to inspect the pitch.
Green lasers were flashed on their faces, but such is Bucs’ tenacity that they were never intimidated when proceedings finally got under way amid endless singing from the home fans.
Bucs should have taken the lead early on, when a great move involving Sifiso Myeni and Lennox Bacela ended with Tlou Segolela freed up and facing Ahly ’keeper Sherif Ekramy.
But as he did when faced with a similar chance against Esperance in the semi-final, Segolela failed to score, though Ekramy deserves credit for reading the move and stopping the Bucs midfielder from six yards.
Despite creating that chance, Bucs still did not settle, with returning skipper Lucky Lekgwathi giving the ball away on one occasion, and Ayanda Gcaba miscueing a clearance.
Ahly’s veteran Ahmed Fathy was also allowed to run through the Pirates midfield, which sorely missed Andile Jali through suspension.
In his place, Lehlogonolo Masalesa did not perform badly, but he could have done with more support from experienced men around him, such as Oupa Manyisa, who at times looked lost.
Fathy was allowed too much leeway to dictate terms from his central defence position, and it was his cross-cum-shot that found Abdelzaher unmarked on the edge of the area to seal the game.
Pirates, though, should have equalised just before that.
Myeni, so brilliant that Ahly assigned two man-markers on him, found space and freed Bacela, but the striker first hesitated, and then rounded ’keeper Ekramy but his high shot bounced off the upright.
A miss such as that can prove costly at this level, and it duly did when Ahly held on to the victory to celebrate an eighth title.
Al Ahly (0) 2
Aboutraika 54, Abdelzaher 79
Orlando Pirates 0
Ahly win 3-1 on aggregate
The Star