Orlando Pirates are in Botswana for their next assignment as they prepare to face off against
Jwaneng Galaxy in their away leg of the Second Preliminary Round of the CAF Champions
League.
The fixture takes place on Saturday afternoon at the National Stadium in Gaborone and is
another crucial tie for the Soweto Giants who have to navigate one more hurdle in their
quest for an extended run in Africaās most prestigious club competition.
Form Guide
They go into the clash as the more battle-hardened of the two sides, having been involved in
knockout football domestically and in continental competition during the early part of their
2024/25 campaign. Pirates kicked off their season with a 3-1 win over SuperSport United in the quarter-finals of the MTN8 before seeing off Cape Town City over two legs of their semi-final tie, which
finished with a 3-1 aggregate score.
In between squaring off against their local rivals, they had to face the challenge posed by Madagascar outfit Disciples, who held them to a goalless draw in the away leg of the previous round of the Champions League. This was before the Buccaneers posted a convincing win at Orlando Stadium, winning 4-0 to set up another date with the men from Botswana.
For the home side, the fixture is only their third since successfully defending their Botswana
Premier League campaign. Their only other matches in the new season came in the first
preliminary round against Namibian outfit African Stars. Galaxy overcame what appeared to be a significant setback when they fell to a 1-0 defeat in their away leg. They however rallied back to force the tie into a penalty shootout, where they prevailed with a 7-5 scoreline.
Playing their third straight game at the National Stadium, they will look to make the most of
home-ground advantage ahead of the deciding leg in Soweto.
Team News
Both teams head into the fixture having spent a big chunk of the past week without a few key
first team squad members, who had departed for national duty. Goitseone Phoko and Benson Mangolo were both starters as Botswana suffered defeat at home to Egypt earlier in the week, and were among eight Galaxy players called up to the national team.
Pirates meanwhile have welcomed seven players back to camp after their involvement in the
Africa Cup of Nations Qualifiers. Jose Riveiroās options could also soon be boosted by the imminent return to action of the likes of Tapelo Xoki and Bandile Shandu, while newly signed right-back Deano van Rooyen is finally available for selection after his move from Stellenbosch.
Players to Watch
Former Platinum Stars forward Thabang Sesinyi will be key in providing the spark up front, where he has often been deployed on the right while also capable of operating on the opposite flank as well as the centre-forward position. The veteran attacker could partner up with fellow forward Omaatla Kebatho, whose goal in the previous round proved crucial in setting up the clash against the Buccaneers.
Mangoloās energy at either half of the pitch is an asset both on defence and attack, while
Phoko is an experienced figure between the sticks.
Head-to-Head
The two sides have had a few run-ins in continental football over the past few years, locking
horns in both the Champions League and Confederation Cup. Piratesā first visit to the Botswana giants yielded a convincing 3-0 win in the first leg of the play-off round of the Confed Cup before they rounded off the tie with a 1-0 win at home.
Jwaneng had their revenge in the most recent encounter between the two sides as they
prevailed with a 2-1 aggregate score after winning 1-0 at the National Stadium and holding
the Soweto Giants to a 1-1 draw in the second leg at Orlando Stadium.
TV Coverage
The fixture is scheduled to kick off at 16:00 (SAST) and will be televised live on SABC Sport
and SABC+. You can also keep in touch with the action as it happens by following live
updates posted across Orlando Piratesā social media channels.
