After a disappointing exit in the CAF Champions League against Saint Eloi Lupopo of DR Congo, red-hot Orlando Pirates will now focus on their domestic schedule and to entrench themselves in the PSL.
The Buccaneers were knocked out of Africa’s prestigious club tournament in heartbreaking fashion after they launched one of the most fantastic fightbacks, cancelling out a 3-0 deficit from the first leg in Lubumbashi to snatch a 3-3 draw in the second leg at a jam-packed Orlando Stadium.
Their bravado was futile at the end when Lupopo advanced to the group stage via the lottery of penalties.
Back on home soil
On Tuesday, Pirates will face Magesi FC in the Carling Knockout quarterfinals, and they will be looking to take out their frustrations on the defending champions at the Orlando Stadium at 7:00pm. Magesi won the immediate past tournament after defeating Mamelodi Sundowns.
According to the Pirates website, Magesi have had a full 10 days between fixtures, while the Buccaneers will head into Tuesday’s game having had a few days’ rest following a bruising cup encounter over the weekend.
Bucs’ attention now lies in domestic football, where they remain one of the form sides with an exceptional run of 10 matches without a defeat. These include their Round of 16 victory over Siwelele, where defender Mbekezeli Mbokazi’s late strike handed them a deserved win after dominating much of the encounter.
Assured performances on home soil have been a key feature of the Buccaneers’ recent success, and they’ll be eyeing an eighth straight win in front of their faithful horde of fans when they host Magesi.
Pirates a well-oiled machine
There are no fresh injury concerns despite a highly physical clash on Saturday, while the likes of Selaelo Rasebotja and Thabiso Sesane continue to work their way back to full fitness after their injury spells.
With Pirates’ visitors relatively new to top-level football, the history between the two sides is rather short but with some memorable encounters. Their very first clash produced one of the Carling Knockout’s biggest upsets when Magesi edged a five-goal thriller in Soweto to eliminate the Buccaneers in the first round.
The Soweto Giants have registered a tight victory of their own against the Limpopo outfit, claiming three league points via a 1-0 win away from home last December. They were reduced to a single point in their next Premiership encounter when Patrick Maswanganyi’s seventh-minute strike was cancelled out by Edmore Chirambadare in a game played at Orlando Stadium.
Yet to beat Magesi at home in two previous attempts, Pirates will be eager to make the most of their home-ground advantage this time around in a game that holds high stakes.
