Pirates and Pyramids set for epic showdown

Orlando Pirates v Pyramids – CAF CL semifinal 1^st Leg 19 April 2025:

🌟 Spotlight on the journey! 🌟

Orlando Pirates and Pyramids FC’s impressive journeys so far. Which team is better prepared for the #TotalEnergiesCAFCL semifinals? 🤩 pic.twitter.com/GuVSKbSNAH
— TotalEnergies CAFCL & CAFCC 🏆 (@CAFCLCC) April 15, 2025

HEAD TO HEAD:

- Orlando Pirates and Pyramids will meet in a CAF CL semifinal first leg in what will be the first meeting between the sides.

- Pirates have already faced Egyptian opposition this season, drawing 0-0 at home and defeating Al Ahly 2-1 away in the group stage.

- Pirates are unbeaten in their last two games against Egyptian opposition in the CAF CL (W1 D1).

- Pyramids will become the 3^rd side Pirates will face in the CAF CL, they previously only faced Al Ahly and Zamalek.

- In the CAF CL Orlando Pirates have played Egyptian opponents in eight matches their record reads P8 W3 D3 L2.

- Pirates in all CAF Competitions have played against Egyptian clubs 12 times, their record reads P12 W5 D3 L4.

- All of Pirates 12 games in CAF Competition against Egyptian opponents have been against either Al Ahly (8) or Zamalek (4).

- Pirates at home against Egyptian opposition in all CAF Competitions have played six games, their record reads P6 W2 D3 L1.

- Pirates only defeat at home in a CAF competition by an Egyptian side came in the CAF CC in 2015, losing 2-1 to Zamalek in the group stage.

- Pirates are unbeaten in four CAF CL home games against Egyptian opposition (W1 D3), their only home win was a 4-1 win over Zamalek in the 2013 group stage.

- All three of their draws against Egyptian opposition in the CAF CL have come against Al Ahly.

- Prior to their two games against Al Ahly in this campaign, Pirates last faced Egyptian opposition in the CAF Confederation Cup in 2015, Pirates lost 2-1 and 4-1 in the group stage to Zamalek and defeated Al Ahly 1-0 at home in the semifinal first leg and 4-3 away in the second leg for a 5-3 aggregate win.

- In the 2013 CAF Champions League, Pirates played six games against Egyptian sides facing Al Ahly on four occasions, twice in the group stages winning 3-0 away and drawing 0-0 away. They also faced Al Ahly in the final drawing the first leg 1-1 at home and then losing the second 3-1 away, for a 4-2 aggregate loss.

- In the 2013 CAF Champions league Pirates also faced Zamalek in the group stages winning 4-1 at home and losing 2-1 away, Al Ahly and Pirates progressed from the group.

- Twice when reaching a CAF inter clubs final Pirates have faced and Egyptian side, they faced Al Ahly enroute to the final in the 2013 CAF CL they were runners up to Al Ahly having faced them in the group phase, they also faced Zamalek in the group. In the 2015 CAF CC they were runners-up to Etoile du Sahel after overcoming Al Ahly in the last four, they had also faced Zamalek in the group stages.

- Pirates will become the 3^rd South African side that Pyramids will face in a CAF competition, having previously faced Mamelodi Sundowns in the CAF CL and Marumo Gallants in the CAF CC.

- Pyramids are winless against South African opposition in CAF competitions (P4 W0 D1 L1).

- Pyramids faced Sundowns in last season’s CAF CL group stage, they drew 0-0 away in the first game and lost 1-0 at home in the second match.

- In Pyramids two games in the CAF CL against South African opposition they have drawn one and lost one.

- Pyramids met Marumo Gallants in the 2022-23 CAF CC quarterfinals, they drew the first leg 1-1 at home and lost 1-0 away in the second leg.

- Pyramids are yet to score in an away game against a South African side in any CAF competition.

ORLANDO PIRATES:

- Orlando Pirates won 1-0 at home against Marumo Gallants in their last match in the Nedbank Cup semifinal on the 13^th April.

- Pirates are unbeaten in their last eight games in all competitions (W5 D3), they last lost 2-0 away in the league to Marumo Gallants on the 1^st March.

- That loss to Gallants is their only defeat in their last 11 games in all competitions (W7 D3).

- Pirates finished top of group C in the Champions League with 14 points. Their record read P6 W4 D2 L0.

- Pirates went through a CAF Champions League group stage unbeaten for the first time.

- Only Orlando Pirates and AS FAR went unbeaten during the group stage of the Champions League this season.

- Pirates reached the semifinals with a 1-0 aggregate win over MC Alger in the quarterfinal.

- Pirates are unbeaten in the CAF Champions League this season across all rounds, they have played 12 games (W8 D4).

- Pirates have scored 18 goals and conceded just four across all rounds in the Champions League so far.

- Pirates in their six home games in the CAF CL this season have won four and drawn two games across all rounds.

- Pirates at home defeated Disciples 4-0 in the first round, Jwaneng Galaxy 1-0 in the second round, in the group stages they won against Stade d’Abidjan 3-0, CR Belouizdad 2-1 and drew 0-0 against Al Ahly and against MC Alger in the quarterfinal 2^nd leg.

- Pirates have only conceded one goal at home across their six games in the CAF CL this season, scoring 10 goals.

- Pirates are unbeaten in their last 10 home games in all competitions (W8 D2), they last lost at home 1-0 in a league match against Stellenbosch on the 1^st December 2024.

- Both draws in their unbeaten home run came in the CAF CL, 0-0 draws against both Al Ahly and MC Alger.

- Pirates in 22 home games across all competitions this season have won 18, drawn two and lost two games (W18 D2 L2).

- Their two losses were in the last 16 of the South African League cup against Magesi 3-2 and a league loss to Stellenbosch 1-0.

- Pirates have reached the semifinals of the CAF CL for the 4^th time along with 1995, 2006 and 2013.

- Pirates reached the semifinals of the CAF CL for the first time since 2013.

- Pirates in their previous three first legs of a CAF CL semifinal have won one and drawn two (P3 W1 D2).

- Pirates only win in a CAF CL semifinal first leg came in their winning campaign in 1995, they defeated Express FC of Uganda 1-0.

- Pirates drew 0-0 to both CS Sfaxien in the first leg in 2006 and to Esperance in 2013.

- Pirates are former champions having won the African Champions of Clubs cup in 1995 a pre cursor to the CAF Champions League.

- Pirates are only South African club to reach the final of the Champions league in two different centuries, doing so in 1995 and 2013.

- Prior to the current season Pirates were eliminated in the Preliminary Rounds of qualifying in 2019-20 and 2023-24, Jose Riveiro is the first Pirates coach to lead them to the semi-final since Roger De Sa in 2013.

- Relebohile Mofokeng has scored four goals for Pirates in the Champions League across all rounds, the most in their side.

- Mofokeng is joint 4^th in the top scorers in the CAF CL this season across all rounds.

- Sipho Chaine has kept eight clean sheets across all rounds in the CAF CL this season, the most of any goalkeeper. From the group stages on wards he has kept four clean-sheets.

PYRAMIDS:

- Pyramids lost 2-0 to Haras El Hodoud in their last match in the Egyptian League Cup on the 16^th April. Despite losing they have reached the Egyptian cup final and will face Zamalek in the final on the 20^th May.

- Pyramids are winless in their last three games in all competitions (D1 L2).

- Their last win was their 4-0 home win in the first leg of the CAF CL quarterfinal over AS FAR on the 28^th March.

- Pyramids making only their 2^nd appearance in the CAF CL finished 2^nd in Group D with 13 points, their record read P6 W4 D1 L1.

- Pyramids have played 12 games across all rounds in the CAF CL, their record reads W8 D2 L2.

- Pyramids in their away games in the CAF CL across all rounds have won two, drawn two and lost two (P6 W2 D2 L2).

- Away in the CAF CL, Pyramids defeated JKU SC 6-0 in the first round 1^st leg and Sagrada 1-0 in the group stage, they drew 1-1 to APR FC in the second round 1^st leg and 0-0 to Djoliba in the group stage, they lost 2-0 to Esperance in the group and AS FAR in the quarterfinal 2^nd leg.

- Prior to their loss against AS FAR in the quarterfinal 2^nd leg, Pyramids had won four successive games in the CAF CL.

- Pyramids progressed to the semifinal of the CAF CL with a 4-3 aggregate win over AS FAR.

- Pyramids will be playing in the semifinals of the CAF CL for the first time.

- Pyramids are the fourth Egyptian side to reach the last four of the CAF CL, along with Al Ahly, Zamalek and Ismaily.

- In their previous appearance in the competition, Pyramids went out in the group stage last season, they finished bottom of group A.

- Prior to this season’s campaign, Pyramids had only won one CAF CL game from the group stages, this season they have won five games from the group stage onwards.

- Pyramids' best finish in CAF competition came in the 2019-20 CAF CC, they were runners-up to RS Berkane losing 1-0 in the Final.

- They have reached the CAF CC semifinal on two occasions in 2019-20 in the semifinal they defeated Horoya 2-0 in the game was contested over a single leg, after a 0-0 aggregate score they lost 5-4 on penalties to Raja CA in 2020-21.

- Pyramids have been runners-up in the Egyptian Premier League in the last three seasons.

- Fiston Mayele and Ibrahim Adel have scored six goals each for Pyramids across all rounds in the CAF CL, only Youcef Belaili (7) has scored more.

- Adel has scored six goals in six appearances across all rounds in the CAF CL this season.