Pirates will jet off to Nigeria for Confed Cup final, if they reach it

Orlando Pirates will find themselves playing the Confederation Cup final at the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium in Nigeria, but that’s if they seal the tie when they welcome Al Ahli Tripoli in the return leg.

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Pirates, who are enjoying a 2-0 away win advantage against Al Ahli Tripoli after beating the side in Libya last Sunday, are favourites to march into the final of the tournament, but they still have a job to do in the return leg which will be played at the Orlando Stadium on Sunday.

“Caf has today announced that Godswill Akpabio International Stadium in Uyo, Nigeria will host the 2021/22 TotalEnergies Confederation Cup final on Friday, 20 May 2022. Caf will confirm the kick-off time in due course,” read a statement from the African football association.

Bucs defender Thulani Hlatswayo knows the Godswill Akpabio pitch all too well as he captained the Bafana Bafana side that got their first-ever competitive victory against Nigeria during the 2019 AFCON qualifiers back on the 10th of June 2017 at the very same stadium.

“This is the first intercontinental major cup final to be hosted in Godswill Akpabio International Stadium in Uyo. Uyo is the capital of Akwa Ibom State – the home of Nigeria’s Premier League side Akwa United. Last year (2021), the TotalEnergies Confederation Cup was hosted in Cotonou, Benin where Morocco’s Raja Club Athletic beat Algerian side JS Kabylie 2-1.”

Meanwhile, with the venue for the Confed Cup set, there is still an uproar regarding the Caf Champions League final hosts, with Egyptian side Al Ahly not happy with Morocco being the selected venue and they subsequentlt took the matter to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).

All the Buccaneers need to do is to make sure that they don’t concede a goal and they will be able to start making arrangements for the trip to Nigeria a place the Soweto giants are familiar with having played Enyimba in the group stages of last season’s Caf Confed Cup, where they beat the Nigerians 2-1 in Aba.