Orlando Pirates return to CAF Champions League action this weekend when they travel to the Botswana National Stadium to face Namibian giants African Stars in their second preliminary round tie.
The Buccaneers booked their place in the second round after seeing off Mauritian side La Cure Waves courtesy of a 3-1 aggregate victory.
The Namibian champions on the other hand had to dig deep to get themselves across the line against Gabonese side Mangasport in the first round.
Key CAF CL match details
African Stars and Orlando Pirates meet in Gaborone on Saturday afternoon with kick-off scheduled for 15:00. The clash will act as the first of two, with the return leg taking place a week later in Orlando.
It’s the first time the two sides are meeting in a competitive match. However, Orlando Pirates legend Deon Hotto will know Stars very well, having played for them at the very beginning of his career between 2012 and 2014.
The winner of the two-legged tie will officially book their place in the 2026/27 CAF Champions League group stages.
Last season, Abdeslam Ouaddou’s side crashed out at the exact same stage of the competition, after dramatically going down to DR Congo’s St Eloi Lupopo who booked their place in the group stages at the expense of the Buccaneers.
Pirates will undoubtedly be looking at the coveted CAF Champions League trophy as a serious possibility, but getting anywhere close to it means they’ll have to swiftly navigate beyond the Namibians to book their place in this season’s group stages.
Photo: Philip Maeta/Gallo Images
