The 30-year-old was in Pirates’ team that played Al-Ahly four times home and away in the 2013 CAF Champions League, which was twice in the group stage and a further two times in the Final.
Pirates lost 3-1 on aggregate in the Final after the two teams played to a 1-1 draw at Orlando Stadium on 2 November 2013 before Al-Ahly won 2-0 at Arab Contractors Stadium in the return leg a week later.
However, the Bidvest Wits midfielder tells this website that a lot has changed since then, especially with the playing personnel at the Egyptian club. And he feels that Pirates are capable of getting their revenge in the Confederation Cup semis second leg clash at New Suez Stadium after they won the first leg 1-0 at Orlando Stadium on September 26.
“Al-Ahly have changed a bit since Pirates played them two years ago with some players retiring and at the moment Zamalek is dominating the [Egyptian League so this is a perfect opportunity for Pirates,” Klate reckons.
“They are going there with a 1-0 lead and they kept a clean sheet at home, so it is an advantage for Pirates. The only thing is Al-Ahly are tactically very disciplined and if Pirates can match them in terms of tactical discipline, I think they stand a very, very good chance [of winning].
“But they must not be naïve and they must stick to the game plan; keep the shape and learn from the past,” he says.
Meanwhile, he also reveals what the Al-Ahly players predicted about Pirates after the 2013 Final. And if what was said by the Al-Ahly players is anything to go by, Pirates could surprise all and sundry including Al-Ahly in their own backyard.
Klate adds: “Speaking to the Al-Ahly players after we played them in the Final, they actually said that if Pirates keep playing in the Champions League and Confederation Cup then Pirates would be a force to be reckoned with [in Africa] in a few years time. They said Pirates is a good team, but lack the experience in terms of playing in Africa. I think Pirates have enough experience now to go there and beat Al-Ahly. I’m very, very confident that Pirates can win and they must go into the game confident as well.”