African Stars coach confident of causing Pirates upset

23.10.26 13:30 CAF Champions League

Orlando Pirates

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African Stars

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African Stars head coach Gerald Guther is confident that his team can cause an upset against Orlando Pirates in the return leg of their CAF Champions League second round tie on Friday.

The Namibian champions head into the match at the Orlando Amstel Arena on the back foot, having suffered a narrow defeat in the first meeting after falling to a solitary goal from Tshepang Moremi.

Notably, the two teams previously met at this stage of the competition in December 2018, with the Buccaneers winning the tie 1-0 on aggregate, thanks to a goal from the late Justin Shonga away from home.

While the odds are firmly stacked against against Stars, Guther says his charges won't fear Pirates, urging confidence, with a lucrative spot in the group stage of Africa's premier club competition on the line.

“We have to come here with confidence, we can't walk in here and be intimidated by the opponents. We do respect them, 100%, but we can't come in here and show any sign of fear,” said the Namibian mentor.

The 46-year-old tactician is under no illusion about the task at hand, but insists his team is capable of securing a favourable result, citing the style of play he has implemented since taking over last month.

“They are extremely well-organized and trained team, and we also train very hard, we work a lot on our play, how we set-up. So, I do fancy our chances. We just have to come out here and leave everything on the field,” Guther added.

Whether the nine-time Namibian champions will replicate FC Saint-Eloi Lupopo and Jwaneng Galaxy by knocking out Pirates in the second preliminary round remains to be seen.

Hlayisani Magoro

Editorfr, en

Football journalist from South Africa covering African football news, exclusive stories and key events while sharing insights with passionate fans of the game.

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