Orlando Pirates secured a narrow 1-0 victory over African Stars in the first leg of their CAF Champions League second preliminary round qualifier at the Botswana National Stadium on Saturday afternoon.

The Buccaneers will take a valuable advantage into the return leg in Soweto next week, knowing that another strong performance could secure their place in the group stages of the 2026/27 competition.

Pirates head coach Abdeslam Ouaddou was aware of the danger of underestimating their opponents, especially after the club suffered disappointment at the same stage of the competition last season.

The Soweto giants were eliminated by St Eloi Lupopo during the previous campaign, despite having reached the semi-finals in the season before that. Although the early continental exit was a setback, Ouaddou's first season at the club ended successfully, with Pirates winning two domestic cup competitions and the league title.

This time, the Buccaneers were determined to avoid another disappointing result as they continued their quest for continental success.

African Stars, who are the reigning champions of Namibia, presented a difficult challenge for the South African side. They had already shown their quality by defeating MangaSport of Gabon in the opening round of the competition, while Pirates progressed comfortably past La Cure Waves.

Ouaddou selected a strong starting line-up for the encounter, but the hosts defended well and made life difficult for the visitors throughout the first half.

Pirates had to remain patient as they searched for an opening goal. Giamphani Lungu came close to breaking the deadlock just before half-time, but his header went narrowly over the crossbar.

The opportunity served as a warning to African Stars, who needed to remain focused against a Pirates side capable of making the most of any defensive mistake.

The Buccaneers increased their attacking efforts after the break as they looked for the goal that would give them an advantage before returning home.

However, with the breakthrough proving difficult to find, Ouaddou decided to make changes to his team. Evidence Makgopa and Sbangani Zulu were introduced in place of Boitumelo Mbuthuma and Nkosinathi Sibisi as the coach looked to improve his side's attacking options.

The substitutions helped Pirates find the breakthrough they needed. Tshepang Moremi scored with 20 minutes remaining, giving the visitors a crucial 1-0 lead.

Pirates managed to protect their advantage until the final whistle, securing an important away victory in their pursuit of a place in the Champions League group stages.

The Buccaneers will now turn their attention to the second leg in Soweto next week. They will hope to build on this result and finish the job in front of their supporters, while African Stars must find a way to overturn the deficit if they are to progress.

Source: IDiskiTimes