Orlando Pirates Face CAF Champions League Test: Three Concerns That Could Derail a Second Star

Pirates Set Sail for Mauritius: The Ghosts of Preliminary Rounds Past

The assignment is clear on paper: beat La Cure Waves over two legs and punch a ticket to the second preliminary round. But for Orlando Pirates, the preliminary rounds have become a psychological minefield. This is the stage where continental dreams have gone to die in recent seasons, and the memory of last year’s heartbreak is still fresh in the minds of the Sea Robbers faithful.

Last season, the Buccaneers were unceremoniously dumped out of the competition in the second preliminary round, losing on penalties to Saint Eloi Lupopo of the Democratic Republic of Congo. It was a gut-wrenching exit that left a sour taste in the mouth, a reminder that in African football, reputation counts for nothing when the whistle blows in a dusty, hostile stadium far from home. The two-legged tie against La Cure Waves, scheduled with the first leg taking place between 4-6 September, is the first hurdle. But it is the second hurdle—that dreaded second preliminary round—that will truly test the mettle of Abdeslam Ouaddou’s men.

The Buccaneers cannot afford to look past the Mauritians, but the shadow of Lupopo looms large. The players know that a slip-up here, a moment of complacency, and the dream of a second star is over before the group stages even flash on the horizon. The hunger is there, but hunger alone doesn’t win football matches in Africa. You need goals, you need resilience, and you need a bit of luck. Right now, Pirates are struggling to find the first one.

The Striker Drought: Mbuthuma, Radiopane, and the Goal-Scoring Burden

Let’s talk about the elephant in the room—or rather, the empty space in the opponent’s box. The Pirates strikers have been firing blanks, and it is a problem that could prove fatal on the continental stage. Yanela Mbuthuma, the preferred first-choice striker, is yet to score a single goal this campaign. For a team with title aspirations and continental ambitions, that is a statistic that simply cannot be ignored.

In the recent league outing against Sekhukhune United, head coach Abdeslam Ouaddou made a statement by dropping Mbuthuma to the bench and handing Boitumelo Radiopane a start. Radiopane responded by scoring his first goal of the season, a timely reminder that he exists and is willing to fight for the jersey. But one goal does not cure a drought. The Pirates cannot afford to rely solely on midfielders and wingers to carry the goal-scoring burden, particularly in difficult away matches across Africa where chances are few and far between.

In the Champions League, you get maybe two or three clear-cut chances in a tight away tie. If your strikers are not clinical, if they are not hungry, those chances vanish like morning mist over the Drakensberg. The pressure is mounting on Mbuthuma to find his shooting boots, and on Radiopane to prove his cameo was not a flash in the pan. The coaching staff will be praying for a goal or two against La Cure Waves to kick-start the confidence, because heading into the second preliminary round with a misfiring attack is a recipe for disaster.

Injury Crisis and Squad Depth: The Weight of the Double Campaign

If the goal drought is a headache, then the injury list is a full-blown migraine. The absence of Sihle Nduli and Thalente Mbatha in the midfield is a massive blow to the team’s engine room. These are the players who dictate the tempo, who break up opposition play, and who launch the attacks that get the crowd on their feet. Without them, the midfield looks lighter, less authoritative, and more vulnerable to the physical battles that define African football.

To make matters worse, Evidence Makgopa’s injury could be felt in attack. Makgopa is the kind of player who can hold the ball up, bring others into play, and offer a physical presence that defenders hate to deal with. His absence, combined with the striker drought, leaves the Pirates looking a little one-dimensional going forward. The Champions League brings additional demands—long-distance travel, unfamiliar pitches, hostile atmospheres, and a congested fixture schedule that tests squad depth to its absolute limit.

More injuries could force Ouaddou to rely on inexperienced players or make frequent changes to his starting XI. That lack of continuity is dangerous. In a two-legged tie, consistency is key. You need a settled back four, a cohesive midfield, and a strike partnership that understands each other’s movements. If the injury crisis deepens, the coach will be forced to patch things up with duct tape and hope, and that is no way to win a continental crown. The squad depth is being tested, and so far, it is looking a little thin.

Set-Piece Vulnerability: The Silent Killer in African Football

There is a quiet, creeping dread that comes with watching your team defend a corner. For Pirates fans this season, that dread has been all too real. The Buccaneers have been vulnerable when defending corners and other set-piece situations, and in African competitions, set-pieces can be the great equalizer. In matches where chances from open play are limited, a single corner or free-kick can decide the entire tie.

Think about it: you travel to a remote corner of the continent, the pitch is bumpy, the crowd is hostile, and the opposition is happy to sit deep and hit you on the break. They win a corner in the 80th minute, the ball is whipped in, and a lapse in concentration sees a defender rise unchallenged to head the ball into the back of the net. That is how dreams die in the CAF Champions League. That is how the second preliminary round becomes a graveyard.

A lapse from a corner or free-kick could prove costly over two legs and ultimately lead to elimination. The coaching staff need to address this urgently. They need to drill the zonal marking, the man-marking, the clearing of the first ball. They need to make sure that every single player knows their role when the opposition loads the box. Because in Africa, set-pieces are not just a tactic—they are a weapon. And right now, Pirates are leaving themselves exposed to that weapon.

The South African Perspective: Defending Champions and the 1995 Legacy

Let’s step back and look at the bigger picture. Orlando Pirates are the defending Betway Premiership champions, having ended a 14-year league title drought last season under the guidance of Moroccan coach Abdeslam Ouaddou, who arrived from France ahead of the 2025/26 campaign. After Week 4 of the current 2026/27 season, the Buccaneers sit proudly at the top of the table with 10 points from four matches—three wins and a draw—boasting a +7 goal difference with eight goals scored and just one conceded. Mamelodi Sundowns are level on 10 points with a +6 difference, while Kaizer Chiefs trail in third on eight points.

The domestic form is strong, but the continent is a different beast entirely. A deep run in the CAF Champions League would mean everything for South African football. It would reassert the country’s place at the top table of African club football, a position that has been dominated by Egyptian and North African clubs in recent years. It would ignite the passion of the fans, fill the stadiums, and inspire a new generation of players to dream big.

And then there is the legacy. The 1995 triumph, when Pirates became the first South African club to win Africa’s premier club competition, is etched into the folklore of the nation. That team, featuring the legendary Mark Fish among its heroes, is still revered today. A second star would not just be a trophy—it would be a statement. It would be a nod to the past and a promise for the future. It would be a moment of national pride, a unifying force in a country that so often needs one. The transformation of the game, the grassroots development, the sheer joy of seeing a South African club conquer Africa—it all hangs in the balance.

What to Watch For: The Road Ahead and Why This Campaign Matters

The immediate focus is on the first leg against La Cure Waves, scheduled for the window of 4-6 September. The Buccaneers need to come out firing, score goals, and build a healthy advantage to take into the return leg. But before that, there is the small matter of a league fixture against Kruger United at Mbombela Stadium, kicking off at 19:30. It is a chance to maintain momentum, to keep the winning feeling alive, and to give some fringe players valuable minutes.

The balancing act between domestic duties and continental ambitions is a delicate one. Ouaddou will need to rotate his squad wisely, keeping his key players fresh for the African nights while ensuring the league form does not dip. The depth of the squad will be tested, and the response to the injury crisis will define the season.

Why does this campaign matter? Because it is about more than just silverware. It is about restoring the fear factor. It is about reminding the rest of Africa that the Ghost is not just a nickname—it is a warning. It is about giving the fans a reason to believe that the glory days are not just a memory, but a blueprint for the future. The road is long, the obstacles are many, and the margin for error is razor-thin. But if the strikers find their scoring touch, if the injuries heal, and if the set-piece defending tightens up, then Orlando Pirates have every chance of going all the way.

The first step is La Cure Waves. The second step is the dreaded second preliminary round. The final step is immortality. Let’s see if the Buccaneers are ready to take it.

This article was produced with AI-assisted research and editorial support. Sources: The South African, Goal.com

By Dante Williams, Staff Writer