After their midweek Premiership hiccup in the Mother City, Orlando Pirates will turn their attention to the cut-throat CAF Champions League tomorrow.
Pirates returned from Cape Town with bruised egos after dominating their clash against Cape Town City, but came away empty-handed and their Premiership title quest in tatters following a 1-0 loss.
One star Pirates player and a major crowd attraction, Patrick ‘Tito’ Maswanganyi, left the field in tears because he felt that he was to blame for the defeat after missing a 70th-minute penalty.
Pirates will host Algeria’s heavy hitters CR Belouizdad in a Champions League Group C match in Orlando tomorrow (3pm kick-off).
A victory for Pirates will secure them a quarter-final berth. After four games, coach Jose Riveiro’s team are undefeated with seven points from two wins and a draw.
They top Group C, with the ‘CAF Club of the Century’ Al Ahly in second place.
Belouizdad are in third place with six points after two wins, and Ivory Coast giants Stade d’Abidjan prop up the Group C log with a single point after a draw.
Belouizdad have been keeping an eye on Pirates’ progress in the domestic arena, and they will fly out to South Africa knowing that their opponents recently lost a match.
Former Cape Town City striker Khanyisa Mayo, who joined Belouizdad a few months ago, has noted Pirates’ defeat against his former side.
“Pirates lost their last game, so they’re wounded. They will want to bounce back, but we’re ready for them,” said Mayo.
“It’s also my first time coming back to play at home since moving to Algeria, which makes it even more special.”
☠️ ⏪️ 𝗬𝗔𝗗𝗛𝗖𝗧𝗔𝗠 ⏪️
— Orlando Pirates (@orlandopirates) January 9, 2025
🎤 @TshegoMabasa_19
🆚 @CapeTownCityFC
🏟 DHL Stadium
🗓️ 8 January 2025
⚫️⚪️🔴⭐️#OrlandoPirates#OnceAlways pic.twitter.com/UqaKTlnquK
Belouizdad may be buoyed by Pirates’ defeat, but they will be far more pumped up because last week, they defeated Al Ahly, an outcome completely out of the blue.
This result has thrown the cat among the pigeons, and mathematically, all four Group C teams now have a realistic chance of making the quarter-finals.
The visiting Algerians will not make the mistake of reading too much into Pirates’ defeat because Cape Town City coach Muhsin Ertugral has said they are one of the best teams in Africa.
The man who could lead Pirates’ charge in Orlando tomorrow will be Maswanganyi, who will want to make good after his penalty failure with a match-winning display against the North African visitors.
Pirates mentor Riveiro will ensure that Maswanganyi will lead the attack alongside star midfielder Relebohile Mofokeng, who was the best player on the field against City in Cape Town.
He would have walked off with the ‘Player of the Match’ award, but the claims of City goalkeeper Darren Keet were far too strong because of several game-saving acts between the sticks.
After last week’s sterling performance against Al Ahly, Belouizdad showed they are dangerous when setting off on transition play.
Winger Abderrahmane Meziane is a key player during this time because after dropping back to help out in defence, he breaks out wide on the left flank to create attacking opportunities. If he is left unmarked, he could be a tricky customer.
Belouizdad are formidable from set-pieces, and they usually send up the lanky Islam Slimani (ex-Leicester City), Chouaib Keddad and Mouad Hadded when taking corners and close-in free-kicks near the opposition penalty area. | Independent Media Sport