Nkota double earns Pirates crucial victory over Belouizdad

Mohau Nkota scored a brace as Orlando Pirates began their CAF Champions League group stage campaign with a hard fought 2-1 win over CR Belouizdad at Stade Du 5 Juillet in Algiers on Tuesday night.

The victory saw the Buccaneers join Al-Ahly at the top of Group C standings with three points, but the defending champions lead the group through the goal difference after the Egyptian giants beat Stade d’Abidjan 4-2 earlier on the day.

Ironically, the joint leaders will face each other next week Saturday at the Orlando Stadium.

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Nkota gave Pirates the perfect start to the match when he opened the scoring in as early as the fifth minute following a routine long ball from goalkeeper Sipho Chaine which was met by Relebohile Mofokeng who laid it nicely for Nkota to ram it into the back of the net.

Nkota then wasted a chance to grab a brace and double the Buccaneers lead in the 13^th minute when he found himself in a one-on-one situation but Moustafa Zeghba did well to close the angle and made a save.

This miss almost proved costly for Pirates a few seconds later, but Chaine came to the visitors’ rescue by making a double save to keep Pirates in the game.

Nkota then made amends for his earlier miss in the 27^th minute when he fired home a powerful shot just outside the penalty box giving Zeghba no chance to save it.

Islam Slimani wasted a good chance to pull a goal back for the home side six minutes later, but he shot over the crossbar from close range. Obviously embarrassed by the miss, the veteran forward then pretended to be fouled inside the box, but the referee was having none of it and signalled for a goal kick.  
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With Pirates applying a low block in the second half, Belouizdad took control of the match and they were rewarded for their constant threat through substitute Khanyisa Mayo who headed home from a corner kick. It was the Bafana Bafana’s first goal for the Algerian club having joined them from Cape Town City at the beginning of the season.

The Buccaneers, however, hung on to their lead to take all the three points on offer.