The Mighty Buccaneers are only two games away from the crown – if only they could be in their element on 21 November at the iconic Orlando Stadium in Soweto and hand Tunisian side, Etoile Sportive du Sahel a sound drubbing at home.
If they can register a big score without allowing the visitors to put anything behind the Buccaneers’ net, they could be home and dry as they would take that advantage to Tunis in two weeks’ time to complete the job, as they did in the Ivory Coast against Asec Mimosa in 1995 in the Confederations of African Football (Caf) Champions League.
Having their second African football final in less than a year, Pirates are expected to make amends for the defeat they suffered at the hands of Egyptian giants, Al Ahly Sporting Club, which is the most decorated club in African football.
The Buccaneers were thrashed by Al Ahly in the two legs of the final of the Caf Champions League and coach Eric Tinkler and his charges are determined to put that defeat aside to bag the Caf Confederations Cup.
It will not be that easy though for the Bucs, as the Tunisians lie third in the Tunisian Ligue Professionnelle 1 and are not a walkover as many may want us to believe.
They have been around in African football as they beat Pirates’ nemesis, Zamalek 5–1 to qualify for this final. Zamalek, another Egyptian giant, had beaten Pirates in both legs of the group stages.
Du Sahel were champions of the Caf Champions League in 2007, runners-up in 2004 and 2005, were Caf Confed Cup winners in 2006 and were twice winners of the Caf Super Cup, in 1998 and in 2008.
The Buccaneers seem to be lucky in the ‘fives’ of these competitions. They won their first Caf Champions League in 1995 and are in the final of Caf Confed Cup in 2015, and another miracle might be in the making.
Potential match winners for Pirates are Kermit Erasmus, Thamsanqa Gabuza, Lehlohonolo Majoro, Thabo Rakhale and Alex lad, Mpho Makola, if they are in their element.
