Downs coach Miguel Cardoso makes history in just three or so months in charge by taking his team to the final of the Caf Champions League. Photo: Sipho Siso

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A Caf Champions League dream final of an all-South African teams was shattered when Orlando Pirates let slip the historic moment when it failed to join its countrymen Mamelodi Sundowns which had already booked its spot.

The Mighty Buccaneers failed to protect a 2-1 lead they had secured and allowed the Egyptian side Pyramids FC to come back and beat the South African side 3-2 to book its date in the final with South Africa’s Yellow Machine, as Sundowns is avidly known to its fans, had booked their spot in the final courtesy of its away goal advantage in a 1-1 draw with Egyptian giants Al Ahly, the team that holds the record wins of the Caf Champions League.

Al Ahly The Yellow Machine had earlier played to a goalless draw with at home in South Africa but Al Ahly was first to pen their name on the scoreboard at home and the South African side lucky that Yasser Ibrahim had tried a back hill clearance of the ball but directed it to the back of the net – advantage Sundowns.

 The clash ended one-all in the ninety but Sundowns qualified with the away goal rule. Pirates and Pyramids had also played to a goalless draw back in South African and had they successfully defended the 2-2 score line; the Bucs would have also qualified for the final on the away goal rule.

The final, to played on a date yet to be announced by Caf, will played as a two-legged affair and the winner will then be crowned after the second leg match.

This final will be an opportunity for Sundowns to earn itself a second Caf Champions League star after gaining its first in 2016 after almost a decade-long quest.

Another South African team, Stellenbosch is on the brink of a final spot in the Caf Confederations Cup final when they take on Tanzania’s Simba FC in the second leg at home in Durban tomorrow [April 27]. In the first leg in Tanzania, Simba, which is coached by a South African, Fadlu Davids, beat the South Africans 1-0 while the Stellies need to beat Simba by two or unanswered goals to qualify for the final of a competition that was once won by Kaizer Chiefs many decades ago.

If the Stellies miraculously qualify for the final, they will meet either RSB Berkane/CS Constantine. Berkane beat Constantine 4-0 in the first leg of the semi-final and Constantine has an uphill battle to climb in order to beat its semi-final opponents and qualify for the final spot.