With one foot in the next round of the CAF Champions League, Orlando Pirates now turn their attention to the second leg of their First Preliminary Round tie against Lioli, which takes place at Orlando Stadium this Saturday.
The Buccaneers hold all the aces in their match-up against the reigning Lesotho champions, following their win in the away leg at Free State Stadium.
Football has, however been known to spring up a few surprises, and both sets of players will head to Soweto knowing that the battle is far from over.
The Opposition
Unlike Pirates, who turned out in Betway Premiership action in midweek, Lioli have had a week-long rest between fixtures. Tse Nala’s first leg defeat was their first loss in competitive action since losing a league fixture to Lesotho Defence Force in February.
They have since gone on to win 11 out of 14 games, bagging a second consecutive league title in the process while only conceding six goals and finding the net 24 times.
The defeat to the Buccaneers was the first time they conceded three times in one match since a league stalemate against Matlama late in the 2024/25 season.
They are now set to play their first competitive fixture on the road this season when they square up against the Buccaneers in a bid to rescue their continental campaign.
While odds are stacked against them the Lesotho outfit has proven to be decent travellers in recent years, having suffered just one defeat on the road in each of their last two league campaigns. They will retain some confidence heading into the second leg, with the hopes of staging a rare upset against the 1995 champions.
Bucs Team News
For the Buccaneers, Saturday’s fixture is a matter of continuing their good form of late. They are coming off a hard-fought midweek win in the Betway Premiership, where Oswin Appollis’ late strike handed them all three points away to Siwelele in what was a second successive fixture at Free State Stadium.
They have now won five consecutive games in all competitions, doing so without conceding while netting an impressive 11 goals. They return to Orlando Stadium for the first time since producing a tight league victory over Orbit College a month to the day, and will be determined to avoid any slip-ups against the Lesotho champions.
Firmly on the driving seat ahead of the second leg, coach Abdeslam Ouaddou could be tempted to rotate his charges for the fixture, with the likes of Masindi Nemtajela and Tshepang Moremi possibly getting starts after impressing with cameo appearances over the past few weeks.
Head-to-Head
The first leg in Bloemfontein was the first ever encounter between the two sides, largely due to Lioli’s absence from continental football over the years.
A brace from Tshegofatso Mabasa, along with a late strike from Oswin Appollis, ensured that there would be breathing space for the Soweto Giants heading into their decisive home leg.
TV Coverage and Ticket Info
Kick-off is at 15:00 with the match set to be broadcast live on SABC 1 and SABC Radio. Live updates will also be posted across Orlando Pirates social media platforms.
Tickets to attend the match are available online on OpenTickets as well as selected outlets nationwide.
SOURCED FROM THE CLUB’S WEBSITE.
