Orlando Pirates eye strong start in CAF Champions League ...

Orlando Pirates begin their CAF Champions League group stage journey on Tuesday night, facing Algeria’s CR Belouizdad at the Stade du 5 Juillet 1962 in Algiers.

The Buccaneers aim to channel their domestic dominance into continental success, coming into the clash with a 100%-win record in the Betway Premiership and leading the table with 21 points.

The South African side secured their group stage berth with a commanding 4-0 aggregate victory over Botswana’s Jwaneng Galaxy, underlining their readiness for this challenge. CR Belouizdad, meanwhile, has struggled domestically, sitting in the bottom half of Algeria’s Ligue 1.

However, they bring a wealth of experience in this competition, having reached the knockout stages consistently in recent years.

“This is a different competition. I don’t think our situation in the league is going to play a big role,” the Pirates coach José Riveiro remarked ahead of the match.

He acknowledged Belouizdad’s improvements, saying, “They come with a new coaching staff, getting better honestly in the last few weeks… So probably all of those components are going to be more important than their current situation in the league.”

A win here would set the tone for Orlando Pirates, whose only Champions League title dates back to 1995. They were runners-up in 2013.

Riveiro also highlighted the unique atmosphere of the Champions League.

“This is the Champions League; it’s a different story; it’s going to be a different atmosphere, a different approach from both teams. Probably we will know much more about each other at the end of the night,” he said.

As the Buccaneers prepare to test their mettle on the continental stage, all eyes will be on their performance tonight, a potential stepping stone toward reclaiming African glory.

POWER Sports