Orlando Pirates face an uphill climb in the CAF Champions League following a 3-0 defeat to Congolese outfit Saint-Éloi Lupopo in the opening leg of their Second Preliminary Round clash at Stade Kibassa Maliba on Sunday.
Having faced a hostile reception on and off the field in Lumumbashi, the Buccaneers have it all to do in the deciding leg set to be played at Orlando Stadium.
Back in action after the international break, the Buccaneers sought to draw first blood in their tie against the Congolese outfit ahead of the decisive leg in Orlando. They were however made to endure some pressure from the hosts, who attacked from the first whistle winning a corner that saw goalkeeper Sipho Chaine called upon early on in the contest.
Having survived the initial threat, they were not fortunate the second time around as Wanet Kashala provided the opener inside the opening five minutes.
Pirates’ attempts at drawing level were rebuffed by the hosts, who maintained their aggressive start. This lasted briefly however as the Buccaneers began finding their feet as striker Evidence Makgopa managed to get their first real shot away in the 15th minute, with Lupopo goalkeeper Esdras Kabamba making a comfortable save.
They continued to grow into the contest throughout the middle period of the first half, but weren’t able to penetrate through the home side’s defensive wall.
With frequent stoppages in the period leading up to the break, the pace of the encounter slowed down considerably as neither side managed to conjure up any real chances.It picked up after the second half restart, and it was the home side that was the livelier of the two sides, forcing the Buccaneers into some defensive work. Pirates meanwhile took a while to kick into gear, and their first real chance of the second half came courtesy of replacement forward Oswin Appollis who went agonisingly close to drawing level with a low shot that drifted inches off target.
That seemed to spur Lupopo back into action with Chaine called upon to make two stunning stops in quick succession in the face of relentless attacks. The third time turned out to be a charm however, as the home side doubled their lead through Dramane Kambou, who latched volleyed in at close range following a set piece.
Desperate to claw their way back, Pirates had a few bright moments up front without finding the decisive touch. They had the ball in the back of the net through Deon Hotto, but his celebrations were cut short after the referee blew for a foul citing an off-the-ball incident.
Things went from bad to worse for the Soweto Giants, who conceded a third in the final minute when Jean Benoît Tukumbane rifled one in past Chaine to make it 3-0.
That sealed a tough outing for the Buccaneers, who have a tough task waiting for them in their bid to qualify for the group stages of the Champions League.
Pirates XI: Chaine, Sibisi, Mbokazi, Lebitso, Hotto, Nduli, Nemtajela (Appollis 46’), Mbule, Sebelebele (Mbatha 46’), Moremi, Makgopa (Mabasa 72’).
SOURCED FROM THE CLUB’S WEBSITE.
