Orlando Pirates v Saint-Éloi Lupopo CAF Champions League

It’s do-or-die for Orlando Pirates in the CAF Champions League as they host Congolese outfit Saint-Éloi Lupopo in the deciding leg of their second preliminary round match-up on Saturday afternoon.

Kick-off is at 15:00.

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The must-win match takes place at the Orlando Stadium, where the hosts face an uphill climb after suffering a heavy 3-0 defeat in the away leg in Lubumbashi last weekend.

A place in the group stage is at stake, and a valiant effort will be required from the Buccaneers who will need to find the net frequently while keeping things tight at the back against a side that proved to be a tough nut to crack in the first leg.

Opposition

The Congolese side finds itself with one foot in the group stages following their convincing win in the first leg played at Stade Kibassa Maliba.

All their attention since the beginning of the week has been on the decisive second leg, as they are yet to take part in their domestic league, whose 2025/26 season only got underway earlier in the week.

They head into Saturday’s fixture having already navigated one tricky away assignment in the current edition of the CAF Champions League in the deciding leg of their opening round tie against Sudan’s Al-Merreikh.

That fixture finished in a welcome goalless draw for Lupopo, who advanced to the second preliminary round thanks to a 1-0 win at home.

While among the best travellers in the Congolese top flight, that good record on the road has not extended to continental football.

Prior to their CAF Champions League return, they competed in three consecutive seasons of the CAF Confederation Cup, losing four and drawing two of their away fixtures.

These include games on South African soil, where they fell to Marumo Gallants in the group stage of the 2022/23 CAF Confederation Cup before going down 3-1 to Sekhukhune United in the first round of the competition’s next edition.

Last weekend’s result does offer a significant buffer ahead of what is a testing return to the country, with the onus squarely on the home side in their desperate bid for survival.

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Having suffered a rare defeat in the first leg, Orlando Pirates’ chances of qualifying for the group stage hang in the balance.

They require a convincing victory in their home leg against Lupopo if they are to have an extended run in the competition.

With Orlando Stadium again providing the backdrop for the deciding leg in the Buccaneers’ ongoing continental campaign, they will require an effort similar to one they produced in the previous round where they netted four unanswered goals against Lesotho champions Lioli.

Their recent home record bodes well for their chances leading to the must-win clash after registering wins in each of their last seven games as hosts across competitions.

The last of these came in midweek when they scraped past league rivals Polokwane City to claim a hard-fought 1-0 win.

With some key players sitting out the midweek encounter, there could be changes made ahead of Saturday’s game with the likes of Deon Hotto and Tshegofatso Mabasa likely to feature.

Head-to-Head

Despite featuring regularly in African interclub competitions, the two sides encountered one another for the first time when they clashed in Lubumbashi.

Orlando Pirates suffered a 3-0 defeat in the opening leg, conceding a deficit they will need to overturn in order to feature among the 16 hopefuls for the most coveted prize in African continental club competition.