The Soweto giants will take on the Madagascan side on Sunday, looking for continental success
Orlando Pirates will begin their quest for continental success when they visit Disciples FC of Madagascar in the CAF Champions League first preliminary round on Sunday.
Pirates are looking for a good start to set the tone for the rest of the season but face a side they know little about, hence the difficulty for Jose Riveiro’s side.
The Buccaneers must, however, complete the job if they are to proceed to the second preliminary round where a possible clash with Jwaneng Galaxy of Botswana await, in what would be a repeat of last season’s clash at the same stage.
Pirates will be encouraged by their start of last season when they beat Djabal of Comoros 4-0 on aggregate before they met their waterloo in the second preliminary round.
The Soweto giants are bolstered by their 3-1 victory over SuperSport United in the MTN8 quarter-final and the match comes just in time for new signing Deano Van Rooyen who completed his move from Stellenbosch FC on Monday.
Head-to-head
Overall, Pirates have never met the Malagasy side but their recent results suggest they should secure a win.
Before beating SuperSport, Pirates had played four friendly matches during their July tour of Spain when they won one, drew two and lost one, their victory coming against La Liga side Sevilla, who they beat 2-0, before 2-2 and 1-1 draws against Plymouth and Granada, followed by a 3-2 loss to Al-Sadd of Qatar.
That should have given Riveiro’s side enough preparations for the Champions League match and will go into it feeling confident of a victory.
Their rivals, meanwhile, last played in June when they won back-to-back league games and could lack the sharpness that the South African giants might possess.
Champions League pedigree
Of the two sides, Pirates are the most experienced in the Champions League given they have won the competition once and also lost in the final.
Their success, however, came 28 years ago, showing just how Bucs fans have been starved of continental success while adding to the pressure.
Pirates came close to tasting continental success in the 2021-22 season when they reached the CAF Confederation Cup final but lost to Morocco’s RS Berkane and while they are not in the class of holders Al Ahly, Esperance, Wydad AC and Mamelodi Sundowns, supporters will be expecting more than last season’s second preliminary round exit.
Meanwhile, Disciples have been in the Champions League twice, in 2011 and 2014, exiting at the preliminary round on both occasions.
What else is there to know?
Disciples coach Mamisoa Razafindrakoto was a central defender and former captain of Madagascar who gained notoriety for scoring a world record 149 own goals in a league match.
Razafindrakoto was handed a ban alongside his team-mates and his coach when Stade Olympique de L'Emyrne, which he was playing for, suffered a shocking 149-0 loss to AS Adema in October 2022 after the players protested what they claimed to be biased officiating.
Razafindrakoto was handed a one-season ban while his coach was suspended for three years for orchestrating the embarrassing incident.
Time & where to watch
The match will kick off at 1pm SA time and will be played in Mauritius due to the absence of a CAF-approved venue in Madagascar
Sunday’s Champions League clash will be broadcast on SABC.