Orlando Pirates have put one foot in the CAF Champions League group stages after a hard-fought 1-0 win against Namibian side African Stars in the opening leg of the second preliminary round at Botswana National Stadium on Saturday. Tshepang Moremi scored Pirates’ second-half strike.
The match was played in Botswana because Namibia’s stadiums do not meet CAF standards to host international club competitions.
The Soweto giants came into the match having played two matches since the FIFA international break.
They secured a 3-0 win against TS Galaxy in a Betway Premiership clash at the Orlando Amstel Arena on Tuesday. Before that, the Buccaneers suffered a 2-0 loss to Mamelodi Sundowns in the MTN8 Final at Moses Mabhida Stadium on Saturday.
Pirates secured their spot in the Second Preliminary Round after a 3-1 aggregate win against Mauritius’ La Cure Waves.
Here are three key takeaways from the Botswana National Stadium:
BLACKOUT FOR SOUTH AFRICAN FANS FOR CAF CHAMPIONS LEAGUE MATCH
Despite Orlando Pirates’ earlier confirmation that the game would be televised on South African Broadcasting Corporation [SABC] sports platforms, local football fans couldn’t watch the entire match because of technical glitches and had to rely on updates from the club’s social media platforms.
Orlando Pirates against African Stars: Picture by Orlando Pirates
SOWETO GIANTS SUFFER CAPTAIN NKOSINATHI SIBISI BLOW
Pirates were forced to make a substitution in the 70th minute after an injury blow to captain Nkosinathi Sibisi. Sibisi, who partnered fellow Bafana Bafana International Lebone Seema, sustained an injury in the second half, which forced coach Abdeslam Ouaddou to bring in Sbangani Zulu.
ORLANDO PIRATES DEFENCE KEY TO THEIR CAF CHAMPIONS LEAGUE RUN
Despite playing in difficult conditions, Pirates have once again shown their ability to avoid conceding unnecessary goals, especially in Africa’s biggest club competition. This is the second clean sheet in an away match during the preliminary round stages. They also kept a clean sheet away against Mauritian side La Cure Waves.
Pirates will now shift their focus to the second leg of the second preliminary round, set to take place at Orlando Stadium on Friday, 23 October, starting at 20:00.
A win or a draw for the Buccaneers will secure them a spot in the CAF Champions League group stages.
The last time Pirates reached the CAF Champions League group stages was in the 2024/25 season, when they advanced to the semi-finals but lost to eventual winners Pyramids FC.
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