MC Alger’s hopes of advancing to the semi-finals of the CAF Champions League were dashed despite a determined performance in their return leg against Orlando Pirates.
The Algerian side’s 0-0 draw at the Orlando Stadium in Johannesburg on Saturday was not enough to overturn a 1-0 deficit from the first leg, which had been played on home soil.
In a match where MC Alger showed significant improvement from their earlier loss, they pressed hard for the crucial goal that would have sent them through.
The team, led by coach Denis Lavagne, saw several attempts fall short, notably from key players Zakaria Naidji, Draoui, and the newly-capped Burkinabe international Mohamed Zougrana.
The trio came close, but they could not find the back of the net, leaving the tie scoreless at full-time.
One of the most dramatic moments of the match came in the dying minutes when Orlando Pirates’ new signing Kipré Zunon had a golden opportunity to secure a penalty shootout for the South African side.
However, Zunon’s shot missed, and the match ended with neither team finding a breakthrough.
Although MC Alger’s defense was resolute, the absence of a decisive goal in Johannesburg meant that their early setback in Algiers ultimately cost them.
The result confirmed Orlando Pirates’ progression into the semi-finals, where they will face Egypt’s Pyramids FC, who advanced after eliminating AS FAR Rabat of Morocco.
For MC Alger, the result was a bitter disappointment, as they had hoped to build on their solid defensive display and push for qualification.
Their campaign ends with a hard-fought 0-0 draw in South Africa, but the overall 1-0 aggregate loss to the Pirates marks the end of their African Champions League adventure this season.
Orlando Pirates will now shift their focus to the semi-finals, where they will seek to continue their impressive run in Africa’s most prestigious club competition.
