Victory In Algeria Puts Pirates On Verge Of Champions League Semis

Young star Mohau Nkota continued to be Orlando Pirates' talisman in the Caf Champions League matches played by his team against tough Algerian sides in that country.

The 20-year-old Bucs attacker was on the scoresheet again at Stade 5 Julliet 1962 in Algiers on Tuesday night, giving Pirates a vital 1-0 victory against MC Alger MCA in the first leg of their Caf Champions League quarterfinal.

Nkota had replaced Kabelo Dlamini in the second half and scored the 65th-minute winner after breaking through Alger's defence after a brilliant through-ball from Bucs' other exciting 20-year-old, Relebohile Mofokeng, the Bafana Bafana wonder boy who had been kept quiet until then.

The goal was the third for Nkota in the 2024-25 Champions League, adding to the two he scored in Algeria against CR Belouizdad in Bucs' 2-1 win in opening round of the group stages back in November, on his debut in the competition.

On Tuesday night the lad from Kimberley was playing his sixth Champions League match as he stunned the huge, hostile crowd in the 64,000-seat ground. Nkota had to fend off two markers before putting the ball beyond the reach of Alger goalkeeper Abdelatif Ramdane.