Although defeated in the second leg final in Cairo, Orlando Pirates will return home as heroes and deserve to be given such a welcome.
This was the message from Sports Minister Fikile Mbalula who praised the team for its fighting spirit in the hostile environment of Cairo. “They may be defeated but they will return home as heroes,” said Mbalula. “Let’s give them that heroes welcome in recognition of their never say die attitude.”
Premier Soccer League CEO, Brand de Villiers also commended the gutsy spirit of Pirates following their loss in the Confederation African Football Champions League final, in which they went down 2-0 to defending champions Al Ahly. The two teams drew 1-1 in the first leg final at the Orlando Stadium last week.
De Villiers said, “Even though results didn’t go their way, we would like to commend Orlando Pirates for their gallant performance and resilience throughout the Champions League.
“We would have loved to celebrate the second star on Orlando Pirate’s jersey, but I’m certain that this campaign has given them valuable lessons that will be profitable to them and other South African clubs that will participate in continental competitions.”
De Villiers added that Pirates’ majestic journey in the Champions League had been dominated by heroic moments whereby they defied the odds and achieved results in difficult conditions at times. “I would like to congratulate Orlando Pirates chairman, Dr Irvin Khoza, the club technical staff led by coach Roger de Sa, the players and supporters for going this far,” he said.
“They might have lost in the final, but we are still proud of them and what they have done for South African and Southern African football.” De Villiers said Pirates’ campaign in the Champions League was a sign that domestic football was now on the rise.
“One of the most important things for us is to see our clubs compete and dominate at continental level,” he said. “We have to test our strength against the best on our continent.”
