The Egyptian side broke the deadlock in the 14th minute of the first leg in Johannesburg on Saturday, as Mohamed Aboutrika sent a superb free-kick into the top right-hand corner of the net.
Defending champions Al Ahly thought they had doubled their advantage early in the second half, but the assistant referee adjudged Ahmed Abdul Zaher to be in an offside position as he turned the ball home.
However, Pirates continued to press themselves for a way back into the game and the South Africans' search for an equaliser eventually bore fruit in the third minute of stoppage time.
Matlaba created an angle for himself on the edge of the penalty area before driving a low effort into the bottom right-hand corner to level the scores up.
The return leg takes place next Sunday in Cairo, with Al Ahly holding the advantage of an away goal.
