Ofori penalty takes Pirates to Confederation Cup semifinals 

An inspiring performance by Orlando Pirates saw the Soweto giants book their spot in the semifinals of the Caf Confederation Cup, after edging 10-man Simba SC 4-3 on penalties at the Orlando Stadium on Sunday.

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Goalkeeper Richard Ofori proved the hero of the shootout, saving one penalty and also scoring the decisive kick himself.

Pirates won the second leg of their quarterfinal 1-0, but had lost by the same scoreline away from home last week, which saw the match decided by a shootout.

It was an electrifying first half, as expected from the hosts, as they were looking to overturn the 1-0 deficit. Simba goalkeeper Salum Manula was already put to a test as early as the fifth minute, with the shot-stopper denying Deon Hotto from a free kick which looked goal-bound.

That was before Bandile Shandu was also presented with an opportunity inside the box, but he blasted his effort over the bar.

Simba weren’t attacking as much as they did in the first leg, but they did come up with a promising counter-attack through Pape Sakho just after the half-hour mark. But the Buccaneers defenders were able to deal with the danger.

In the second half, Pirates a one-man advantage in the game after the East Africans were reduced to 10 men after Kope Mugalu was sent off following a bad challenge on Olisa Ndah, which saw him get his second yellow card after a VAR check.

Straight after that, Bucs went on the attack and they found the opening goal through Kwame Peprah’s header from close range to make it 1-0.

The goal injected more energy into Pirates players, with the side desperate for a second goal, but their attempts upfront weren’t fruitful with the Simba back-line working tirelessly overtime.

Pirates would go on to finish the game stronger, but Simba managed to hold on despite the pressure, sending the game to penalties.

During the penalties, the Tanzanians weren’t able to convert two of their penalties, while Pirates only missed one, and they ended up victorious with Richard Ofori scoring the winning penalty to see Pirates through to the last four of the tournament.