South Africa's Orlando Pirates sprang an African Champions League surprise after holding Esperance to a 1-1 draw in Tunisia to qualify for the competition's final on Saturday.

A goalless draw in the first leg in Johannesburg made Esperance favourites to make a fourth successive appearance in the final but they were undone by a spirited Orlando side.

The one-time African champions silenced the home crowd in Rades with a 52nd-minute goal from Rooi Mahamutsa but Iheb Msakni drew Esperance level a few minutes later.



However, the hosts still failed to add a crucial second as Orlando held on to set up a meeting against either defending champions Ahly or Cameroon's Coton Sport, who meet in the other semi-final in the Egyptian Red Sea resort of El-Gouna on Sunday.

Esperance had the better possession in the first half but they were almost caught on the break after 18 minutes but a last-ditch interception by defender Houcine Ragued denied Orlando a certain goal.

At the other end, some errors from goalkeeper Senzo Meyiwa could have cost the visitors.

He could only parry a tame free-kick from Esperance's lively midfielder Youcef Belaili but none of the hosts' players was on hand to notch home the rebound.

Orlando came on with all guns blazing in the second half and were unlucky not to go ahead four minutes after the restart when Esperance keeper Moez Ben Cherifia superbly blocked a free header from Daine Klate.

However, he was powerless to prevent Orlando from making amends on 52 minutes when Mahamutsa rose at the near post to meet a corner with a glancing header that went in.

Esperance equalised three minutes later when Msakni swept home a low cross following some brilliant individual work from Belaili on the right flank.

But they could not build up on the goal in their quest for a decisive strike, allowing Orlando to launch some dangerous counter attacks that could have put the result beyond doubt more than once.



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