Orlando Pirates’ CAF CL opponents revealed! Bucs must overcome ‘black magic’?
Orlando Pirates are close to reaching the CAF Champions League group stages but have their bogey team to deal with.
Orlando Pirates will play a team they know very well in the second round of the CAF Champions League.
Having defeated Madagascan side Disciples 4-0 on aggregate, the Buccaneers had to wait until Saturday evening to know which team they were up against. The 1995 CAF CL winners will face Morena Ramoreboli‘s Jwaneng Galaxy in the second round of the preliminary round.
Galaxy had to overcome African Stars 6-5 on penalties to set up a meeting with the Mighty Buccaneers. The Botswana giants knocked out Orlando Pirates in the CAF CL second round last year.
Morena Ramoboli’s side defeated Pirates at home before losing the second leg 1-0 in Orlando. With the tie 1-1, a penalty shootout followed and the Buccaneers were eliminated in front of their home fans.
Orlando Pirates and Jwaneng Galaxy meet again in CAF
This season, the Sea Robbers look stronger and energised; on paper, they should beat their neighbours. The Soweto giants though have a habit of choking in the preliminary rounds. In 2010, they were eliminated by another Botswana team(Gaborone United) in the same stages of the CAF CL.
If Orlando Pirates are to advance to the CAF group stages, they have to outsmart Ramoreboli. The South African coach has previous experience in eliminating the Buccaneers in a tournament. He did so a decade ago with Maluti FET in the Nedbank Cup and last year he also haunted the Bucs once more.
Having beaten Pirates in the CAF second round last year, Jwaneng qualified for the group stages for the first time. Although they failed to reach the quarter-finals, the Botswana champions pulled off another upset when they defeated Wydad Casablanca. After the match, Ramoreboli lashed out at the Moroccan media who accused him of using ‘black magic’.
Pirates will have a chance to avenge their CAF loss to Jwaneng next month.
Will Pirates overcome Jwaneng Galaxy?
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