Orlando Pirates travel to Botswana for CAF Champions League second round

Orlando Pirates FC begin their CAF Champions League second preliminary round campaign with a first-leg trip to face African Stars in Gaborone on Saturday. The Buccaneers, who qualified with a 3-1 aggregate win over La Cure Waves, are looking to avoid a repeat of last season's shock exit at this stage.

Head coach Abdeslam Ouaddou stressed the importance of reaching the group stages this time. "It's important this year to get in the group stages," Ouaddou said. "Last season, unfortunately, we were knocked out by Lupopo, and it's a big target this season." He added that the team learned from that experience and needs a good result away from home to set up the return leg in Johannesburg.

The side travels in strong domestic form, sitting second in the Premier Soccer League standings with 22 points from eight games. Their latest outing was a convincing 3-0 victory over TS Galaxy last weekend, a result that keeps them just one point behind leaders Mamelodi Sundowns.

Opponent ambition

African Stars, the reigning Namibian champions, present a fresh challenge under new head coach Gerald Günther. They advanced on away goals against AS Mangasport and are one hurdle from a historic group stage debut. Günther, taking charge of his first match, acknowledged the task. "Our objective is to compete for a victory in Gaborone and put ourselves in the strongest possible position ahead of the return match," he stated. The Namibian side is known for its physicality and organisation, having kept a clean sheet in their last home continental fixture.

The clubs have met only once before, in the 2018 Champions League, with Orlando Pirates progressing thanks to a Justin Shonga goal. The Buccaneers also have positive memories of the Botswana National Stadium, having beaten Jwaneng Galaxy 3-0 there in the 2020/21 Confederation Cup. However, African Stars are expected to have significant local support despite the neutral venue, adding to the atmosphere of the encounter.

After this continental fixture, Orlando Pirates' focus returns to the league with a key Soweto Derby fixture against fourth-placed Kaizer Chiefs at home on 31 October. The second leg of this Champions League tie is scheduled for Orlando Stadium on Friday, 23 October. Coach Ouaddou confirmed that the squad has no new injury concerns ahead of the trip to Botswana, with the full squad available for selection as they aim to secure a positive first-leg result.