Orlando Pirates head coach Abdeslam Ouaddou has warned his players against becoming complacent after securing a narrow 1-0 victory over Namibian side African Stars in the first leg of their CAF Champions League second preliminary-round tie.

The Buccaneers claimed the advantage away from home at the Botswana National Stadium on Saturday, 17 October 2026, thanks to a second-half goal from Tshepang Moremi.

However, Ouaddou has stressed that the job is far from complete, with Pirates still needing to negotiate the return leg to secure their place in the group stages of Africa’s premier club competition.

The Soweto giants will welcome African Stars to the Orlando Amstel Arena on Friday, 23 October, hoping to finish the job in front of their home supporters.

Speaking after the first-leg encounter, Ouaddou cautioned against assuming that Pirates are already close to qualifying, despite holding a one-goal advantage.

“I cannot say we have one foot in the group stages; we still have an important second half there, and we will have to prepare for this to qualify for the group stages,” said the Pirates coach.

He added that reaching the group stages remains a major objective for everyone at the club, including the players and technical team.

“It’s an important target for the club, the technical team and the players, so we’ll rest and prepare well so we can start that game to win it,” Ouaddou explained.

Pirates will now turn their attention to preparing for the decisive second leg, where they will look to build on their first-leg result and avoid giving their opponents an opportunity to turn the tie around.

Moremi’s goal has given the Buccaneers an important advantage, but African Stars will still have an opportunity to challenge for qualification when the teams meet again in Soweto.

For Ouaddou and his players, the immediate focus will be on maintaining their concentration, preparing thoroughly and delivering another strong performance to achieve their continental ambitions.

With a place in the CAF Champions League group stages at stake, Pirates will be determined to make home advantage count as they look to complete the job against the Namibian side.

'It's not over yet,' Ouaddou warns Orlando Pirates