MC Alger still have hope against ‘opportunistic’ Pirates

MC Alger head coach Khaled Ben Yahia still believes his side can reach the Caf Champions League semifinals, when they take on Orlando Pirates at Orlando Stadium on Wednesday evening. 

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The Buccaneers hold a 1-0 lead from their visit to Algiers ahead of this quarterfinal, second leg, making them clear favourites to progress in front of their own fans. 

MC Alger coach Ben Yahia – ‘We will see after the game’

“Where there is life there is hope,” Ben Yahia told journalists at Orlando Stadium on Tuesday. 

“They (Pirates) are a big team, we will play, and the rest we will see after the game.” 

Ben Yahia saw Pirates’ performance in Algiers as far more effective than flamboyant. 

“Pirates are a very disciplined team … They are also opportunistic. For us as a continent it is very difficult to find this kind of discipline and level of focus and I was impressed”

The Buccaneers rode their luck a little in Algiers, but pounced when it counted, Mohau Nkota netting one of few opportunities for Riveiro’s side. 

‘They used their opportunity’

“That is why I said Pirates are opportunistic. They used their opportunity and that was it,” added Ben Yahia. 

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“We had quality, we frustrated them physically and tactically. We lacked effectiveness, but I know we played well.”