Orlando Pirates will look to secure their spot in the CAF Champions’ League group stage when they host Botswana’s Jwaneng Galaxy in the deciding leg of their final preliminary round match-up this weekend.
The crucial fixture takes place at Orlando Stadium on Saturday, seven days after the Buccaneers claimed a significant advantage in the tie with victory in the away leg.
Form Guide
A month and a half into the new season, the home side remains unbeaten and come off a dramatic league win at home to Chippa United in midweek. This was their fourth victory in as many matches played in Soweto and their fifth win overall.
In their seven outings so far in the ongoing campaign, the only blemishes to the Soweto Giants’ record have been stalemates against Madagascar champions Disciples and local rivals Cape Town City, both occurring away from home.
Having claimed their first away win last Saturday against Galaxy, they will be looking to carve a seamless path into the next round of the Champions League with another victory.
Meanwhile, the visitors will head to Soweto determined to launch another comeback, having done so in the previous round after losing the away leg to Namibia’s African Stars with a 1-0 scoreline. Dinaledi, as they are affectionately known, avenged the defeat at home and forced the tie into penalties where they eventually prevailed.
Their three Champions League fixtures have been their only outings so far this season, with their domestic league only set to get underway later in the month.
Team News
Changes could be seen in both camps in the second leg, with the likes of Thabang Sesinyi and Onkabetse Makgantai likely to feature more prominently for the visitors after starting from the bench in the previous encounter.
For the hosts, there could be bigger roles for Boitumelo Radiopane and Thuso Moleleki, who both made cameos in midweek.
Zakhele Lepasa and Goodman Mosele remain on the mend after sustaining ankle and knee injuries respectively, while a return to action looms for Paseka Mako who recently resumed full training.
Players to Watch
Attacking midfielder Gilbert Baruti gave Pirates a few nervy moments after his halftime introduction in Gaborone and will be determined to convert his chances in Soweto. The 32-year-old is an experienced campaigner in continental football and a regular feature on the scoresheet.
With goals a non-negotiable heading into the deciding leg, the visitors will rely heavily on international forwards Wendell Rudath and Sesinyi, who will both have a big role in keeping their continental campaign alive.
Head-to-Head
Galaxy will go into the fixture with a degree of confidence having beaten Pirates once in the recent past. This was when they won 1-0 at home in the last preliminary round of the 2023/24 Champions League, eventually going through on penalties after the Buccaneers levelled the tie in the second leg.
The Soweto Giants have however been the more dominant of the two sides over the years, winning four of their five previous encounters and only conceding one goal while finding the net seven times.
TV Coverage and Ticket Info
The fixture is scheduled to kick off at 18:00 and will be broadcast live on SABC Sport and SABC+. Live updates will be posted across Orlando Pirates’ social media channels.
Tickets to attend the match are available online at TicketPro and selected outlets nationwide.
