The 2024/2025 CAF Champions League semi-finals will be an all-South Africa vs Egypt affair after Orlando Pirates booked their spot in the last-four on Wednesday evening.
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The Buccaneers were held to a 0-0 draw at home by MC Alger of Algeria, but still advanced to the semi-finals.
Orlando Pirates won the first leg of the quarter-final 1-0 in Algiers last week through a Mohau Nkota goal and progressed to the penultimate stage of the premier African club competition 1-0 on aggregate.
South Africa vs Egypt
The semi-finals later this month will pit South African and Egyptian clubs against each other for spots in the two-leg final.
Mamelodi Sundowns face record 12-time CAF Champions League winners and defending champions Al Ahly while Orlando Pirates meet Pyramids, the only semi-finalists not to have won the competition.
The two-leg semi-finals are scheduled for the weekends of 18/19 and 25/26 April.
In semi-final 1, Mamelodi Sundowns will host Al Ahly in the first leg, while in semi-final 2, Orlando Pirates will welcome Pyramids to the Orlando Stadium.
The return fixtures will take place the following weekend.
The final is also a two-leg affair and scheduled for May 24 and June 1.
The first leg of the final will be hosted by the winner of the Mamelodi Sundowns-Al Ahly clash.
The overall winner will take home $4 million (R79 million).
Orlando Pirates vs MC Alger match report
MC Alger came to Soweto on the outskirts of Johannesburg confident of overturning the aggregate deficit and the former champions had several late chances to win the second leg and force a penalty shootout.
Abdelkader Menezia had a powerful header saved by perfectly positioned goalkeeper Sipho Chaine, then fellow substitute Ivorian Kipre Zunon wasted a close-range chance by blazing wide.
Orlando Pirates also had an added-time scoring opportunity as another substitute, Tshegofatso Mabasa, swivelled in the area and his low shot struck the base of the far post.
The South African club are aiming for a third final appearance.
They beat ASEC Mimosas of the Ivory Coast in the 1995 title decider, but lost to Ahly 18 years later.
Which two sides will progress to the CAF Champions League final?
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