Orlando Pirates coach Abdeslam Ouaddou has been clear on his CAF Champions League mission since the start of the season, stating that he wants to go for continental glory following their league success.
But first, in order to breathe life into that possibility, Pirates will have to qualify for the group stages to officially start their challenge for the continental showpiece this season.
Pirates face Namibian outfit African Stars when they meet in the second preliminary round first-leg tie in Gaborone, Botswana, on Saturday.
The Buccaneers have already missed out on one trophy this season, when they lost their MTN8 title to rivals Mamelodi Sundowns.
READ: Sundowns, Pirates in gruelling CAF Champions League prelim round fixtures
Four trophies still up for grabs
After that highly contested final at the Moses Mabhida Stadium over the weekend, Ouaddou said that despite their disappointment at losing the MTN8, they still have four trophies to contest this season, including the Champions League.
Reminiscing about their howler of failing to qualify for the group stages last season, the lanky Bucs coach emphasized the importance of avoiding the same disappointment by returning home with a win against African Stars.
“It will be important to come back with a positive result because this will really be a big challenge for us,” Ouaddou said after the Carling Knockout draw in Fourways on Wednesday night.
READ: Orlando Pirates start Carling Knockout defence against Milford FC
Lessons learned from Lupopo exit
“It’s important for us to qualify for the group stages this year. We know last season, we were knocked out by St. Eloi Lupopo [in the second preliminary round], so making it to the group stages is a major target for us this year.
“We learned our lesson from last season [losing 3-0 away to Lupopo], so it will be crucial for us to return home with a positive result to position ourselves well for the second leg.”
Technical team focused on opponent analysis
Regarding their opponent and how much they know about them, Ouaddou admitted that it was difficult to get sufficient footage and information about their opponent but will work tirelessly with his technical team to prepare well for the game.
“It was difficult to get footage of our opponent because their league hasn’t started, but we’ve managed to obtain video footage.
“We’ve already started analysing them and getting some information on our opposition, but we will go deeper in our analysis on Thursday and Friday,” Ouaddou added.
- Orlando Pirates coach Abdeslam Ouaddou aims to win the CAF Champions League after their league success.
- Pirates must qualify for the group stages by defeating Namibian club African Stars in the second preliminary round first-leg tie.
- Pirates lost the MTN8 title to Mamelodi Sundowns but still have four trophies, including the Champions League, to contest this season.
- Ouaddou emphasized the importance of avoiding last season's failure to qualify for the group stages after being knocked out by St. Eloi Lupopo.
- Due to limited footage as African Stars' league hasn't started, Pirates' technical team is intensively analyzing available video to prepare for the match.
