Pirates set sights on winning return to Orlando Stadium
Orlando Pirates fans will be looking forward to Friday’s CAF Champions League encounter against Horoya of Guinea following the club’s lengthy period away from the continent’s premier club competition.
The last time Pirates fans watched their darling club at the Orlando Stadium was on 2 November 2013, when they hosted eventual champions Al Ahly in a high octane 1-1 first leg final draw. Fast forward to six years later, the rich in history Orlando Stadium plays host to the club’s first CAF Champions League group match against the West Africans in what promises is set to be a very tactical Group B clash.
Interestingly, Pirates never lost a Champions League match at home during their last appearance and will be hoping to carry on with that impressive record.
Even though it will be the first time the two sides meet, Pirates will know quite enough about the side that is making its ninth appearance in the competition, with their most impressive showing being last year’s quarter-final final finish.
Pirates quite recently beefed up their technical team with the acquisition of former Maritzburg United coach, Fadlu Davids. The 37-year-old joins an already impressive technical brains trust that boasts a Champions League winning Rhulani Mokwena with Mamelodi Sundowns and a wealth of experience from Milutin “Micho” Sredojevic who did wonders with the Uganda.
Speaking from the team’s training session in Johannesburg on Thursday afternoon, Micho said the club would do everything possible to do well in the Champions League.
“Playing champions league football after a six-year absence is not an easy task. We went to Zimbabwe where we had our supporters with us (referring to the large number of Pirates supporters from Zimbabwe) and did well in getting a point. Picking up a point away from home in Champions League football is great but at home you have to win. Picking up that point was very important for us and I can say that we are ready for anything that football can bring at us” said Micho.
Sredojevic is also wary of the danger posed by Horoya’s coach Patrice Neveu whom he describes as a typical French coach.
“We playing against a team that just changed their coach last year whom I played against when he was the coach of Mauritania. We know each other well. He is a different kind of a coach and someone who brings great experience. The team also has quality players. I actually call them the United Nations of west Africa and not Horoya because they have about 15 foreign players who play very well individually and as a team. They have been playing CAF competitions for the past two years, so they are certainly not a team to be undermined” said Micho
While there may be some new faces to the Pirates team that last showed up in the Champions League in 2013, the Micho led side possesses quality in all areas and can cause troubles for any team on a good day.
Happy Jele, who is one of the survivors of the team that made it to the 2013 final and now captains the club says he and the other senior players will have to play a key role in the campaign.
“It’s an important competition for the team and I need to motivate the guys that haven’t been there to push themselves in this competition. It’s important for us as well as the club to win this game and advance even further in the competition and that is why we urge our supporters to come out in numbers on Friday” said Jele.
New signee, Alfred Ndengane who partnered well with Happy Jele at the back against FC Platinum will be key in that heart of defense that also has a Champions League winning defender in Asavela Mbekile who got his gold medal with Mamelodi Sundowns two years ago.
The Buccaneers also have a lethal strike force in the Zambian duo of Justin Shonga and Augustin Mulenga who have caused all sorts of problems for PSL clubs this past two seasons.
Pirates’ clash with Horoya will be their second of group B match in this year’s campaign following their 0-0 stalemate last week.
**Fixtures
Group A
**19.01.2019 Abidjan ASEC (Cote d’Ivoire) vs Lobi Stars (Nigeria)
19.01.2019 Pretoria Sundowns (South Africa) vs Wydad (Morocco)
**Group B
**18.01.2019 Tunis Esperance (Tunisia) vs FC Platinum (Zimbabwe)
18.01.2019 Johannesburg Orlando Pirates (South Africa) vs Horoya (Guinea)
**Group C
**18.01.2019 Ismailia Ismaily (Egypt) vs Club Africain (Tunisia0
19.01.2019 Constantine CS Constantine (Algeria) vs TP Mazembe (DR Congo)
**Group D
**18.01.2019 Bechar JS Saoura (Algeria) vs Al Ahly (Egypt)
19.01.2019 Kinshasa AS Vita (DR Congo) vs Simba (Tanzania)