Orlando Pirates will have it all to do in the Caf Champions League quarter-final second leg after they suffered a 1-0 defeat to Simba FC in the first leg at the Benjamin Mkapa National Stadium on Sunday evening.
The game got off to a slow start with both teams weighing each other up in the opening exchanges of the match.
The Buccaneers came close to taking the lead in the 10th minute after Kwame Peprah made a superb run before sending his shot wide of goal.
Deon Hotto had a chance to hand Pirates the lead in the 18th minute when he curled his effort to force a fumble from Simba goalkeeper Aishi Manula, who recovered in time to collect the ball.
Peprah attempted to catch the Simba keeper off guard in the 27th minute when he produced a curling effort at goal but the Pirates attacker saw the ball drift wide of the target before having another effort saved in the 37th minute.
The Buccaneers thought they should have been awarded a penalty in the 43rd minute after Siphesihle Ndlovu was hacked down inside the box but a corner was given instead as the game went into the break locked at goalless heading into the half time break.
Peprah continue to trouble the Simba defence in the second half after receiving a pass from Hotto but the Pirates attacker rolled his effort wide of goal.
Simba were then awarded a penalty in the 65th minute after the VAR decision was upheld. Shomari Kapomb stepped up and made no mistake to send the ball into the back of the net to make it 1-0.
The Buccaneers opted to make their first substitution in the 74th minute as Ndlovu was taken off and replaced by Abel Mabaso before Peprah came off in place of Lerato Lepasa moments later.
Pirates continued to press forward in the 79th minute as they went in search of an equaliser as Makaringe threaded his pass through to Lepasa but he overhit his pass as the attack amounted to nothing.
The Soweto giants went in search of an equalising goal in the closing stages of the game but were unable to penetrate the Simba defence as the home side clinched a narrow victory over the Buccaneers.
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