Orlando Pirates have already arrived in Algeria for their CAF Champions League match against CR Belouizdad on Tuesday.
Pirates will start their Group C campaign in Algiers with a tie against CR Belouizdad who present a different challenge to the PSL leaders.
Jose Riveiro’s team have enjoyed a near flawless first half of the season, winning the MTN8 and storming to the top of the PSL table after seven straight wins, and are hoping for the same vibe on the continent.
Pirates are back in the CAF Champions League for the first time since 2019 with most of their players set to get their first taste of group stage action.
Will Pirates extend their good form in Algeria?
Pirates, winners of the competition in 1996, will need a positive start given they are in a tough group that also has record winners and reigning champions Al Ahly of Egypt and Ivorian giants Stade d’Abidjan.
The Buccaneers are facing Algerian opposition for the first time since 1997 when they took on USM Alger over two legs before they went on to exit the competition at the group stage.
There is little continental experience in the Pirates squad with a few still remaining from the team that reached the CAF Confederation final in 2021-22.
However, Riveiro’s team will want to write their own story and they will be encouraged to learn that their next opponent is struggling domestically, sitting in an unfamiliar 12th position on the Algerian league table after managing just two wins from their opening eight matches.
