Pirates a giant in Africa - Abdeslam Ouaddou

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Bucs continent's heavyweight, declares Ouaddou

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Pirates a giant in Africa - Abdeslam Ouaddou

Photo: Daniel Hlongwane/ Gallo Images

23.10.26 14:00 CAF Champions League

Orlando Pirates

African Stars

Orlando Pirates head coach Abdeslam Ouaddou says the Buccaneers are giants in African football, and it's imperative for the club to reach the group stage of the CAF Champions League this season.

The Sea Robbers tackle Namibian champions African Stars in the return leg of their second preliminary round tie at the Orlando Amstel Arena on Friday, with a lucrative spot in the last-16 on the line.

Pirates head into the encounter with one foot in the group stage, having emerged victorious in the first meeting staged at a neutral venue in Botswana, with Tshepang Moremi scoring the only goal of the match.

Having crashed out at the hands of FC Saint-Eloi Lupopo at the same stage of the competition last season, Ouaddou is hell-bent on redemption, stating that Africa's premier club competition is incomplete without Pirates.

“It's really an important objective for us regarding last season where we didn't manage to go through to the group stage. Orlando Pirates is a giant in Africa, and we have to see Pirates in this Champions League,” said the Bucs mentor.

"The fans, the partners, the stakeholders, the club, are waiting for us to come back in this big competition. And our players are ready, our players know the target that we have to reach in order to bring the happiness and to bring Pirates in this big competition.

"I jokingly said to the players that without Pirates in the Champions League, it's like not having Morocco in the World Cup. We need big teams in the big competitions.

Notably, Pirates previously denied Stars entry into the group stage back in December 2018, with the late Justin Shonga netting the crucial goal on the road after a goalless stalemate on home soil.

Whether Ouaddou will guide the South African champions to a group stage berth remains to be seen, with the Soweto giants susceptible to early exits in recent seasons.

This article was edited by Editorial Team. For more information on how we create review content, see our Editorial Policy .

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.