Orlando Pirates coach Jose Riveiro stated that he had warned people about Pyramids being the strongest opponent his team has faced in this season’s CAF Champions League.

Pirates narrowly avoided defeat against a relentless Pyramids side in the first leg of the CAF Champions League semi-final at FNB Stadium on Saturday.

The Egyptian team had two goals disallowed after VAR reviews, with a decision on striker Fiston Mayele’s first disallowed goal proving particularly fortunate for Pirates.

Mayele was also unlucky when his close-range diving header went wide when he arguably should have scored.  

The two teams are scheduled to meet again in the second leg at the 30 June Air Defence Stadium in Cairo on Friday night.

“I said before the game that, for me, the best team we have played this season so far,” Riveiro commented. 

“They are a great, a team which is playing in this competition not showing any kind of pressure or nervous in every game whenever they play.  

“On Saturday, it was a good example of that. I think sometimes it looks like we don’t understand the stage of where we are right now with the giant team that we are, with inexperienced team. 

“There were moments that supporters lost a little bit of confidence in them, as well as in the couple of mistakes in the build-up, and those are the moments we need them the most, because it is the way that we know how to play football. 

“It is way we are beating teams; it is a way that we manage to arrive in these stages playing that kind of football. 

“We are fighting for big competition because we are playing that kind of football. All of us we do, and I hope that people from outside can appreciate what these boys outside are doing in each and every game. 

“I think this season it’s our game number 42 [in all competition] and the moment we make a mistake; we need all their support behind and make sure that together we can continue celebrating good games like on Saturday and hopefully more to come.”    

The winner of this tie will face the winner of the other semi-final between Mamelodi Sundowns and Al Ahly, which also ended in a goalless draw after the first leg at Loftus Stadium on Saturday.

It is possible that both finalists in the CAF premier club competition could be South African teams, which would be a first. Alternatively, it could be an all-Egyptian final, which has occurred before in this competition.