CAFCL: Why Orlando Pirates moved Pyramids clash to FNB Stadium – Merafe

Photo Credit - Orlando Pirates Media.

Orlando Pirates have come out to explain their decision to host Pyramids in the first leg of their CAF Champions League semi-final clash at FNB Stadium and not Orlando Stadium.

Pirates will face the Egyptian side on Saturday seeking to qualify for the final of the inter-club competition having eliminated Egypt's Al Masry by a 1-0 aggregate result in the semi-finals.

Explaining the decision, the club’s Media Officer, Thandi Merafe said as quoted by SABC Sports: “We obviously always want to play at home, we are a very spiritual club, like you said and we believe in our ancestors and we believe that our ancestors are at Orlando but we also understand that to be here for as long as we have been, to be a brand of this magnitude, you need to understand your environment.

“You need to be in tune with your surroundings and what's happening around you and right now it's a holy time for all Christians, it's the Easter weekend.

“We know there's a church service that's gonna be happening at Orlando, it happens every year. Of course, we can always say no, it's our home ground, we want to play there with the team, but that would be disrespectful to so many other things.

“One thing the chairman has taught us is to always be respectful, which brings us now to FNB Stadium.”

The return leg will be played at 30 June Stadium in Cairo on Friday.