Smiso Msomi
The four South African clubs doing CAF duty this season are expected to make an impact in their respective competitions.
Orlando Pirates and Mamelodi Sundowns will tussle among the powerhouses on the continent in the CAF Champions League while Stellenbosch and Sekhukhune United handle matters in the CAF Confederation Cup.
The Brazilians will not be strutting their stuff in the first round of preliminary matches but will instead join in the second round where they’ll face eSwatini’s Mbabane Swallows or Ferroviario Beira of Mozambique.
For Babina Noko, it will be a similar scenario after being exempted from the opening round of the competition and they will instead battle Elgeco Plus from Madagascar or CD Lunda Sul from Angola.
☠️FT | Disciples 0 - 0 @orlandopirates
— Orlando Pirates (@orlandopirates) August 18, 2024
⚫⚪🔴⭐#MatchDay#CAFCL#OnceAlways#OrlandoPirates pic.twitter.com/AI0LnXdNcG
Unfortunately, Pirates and Stellies will not be afforded that privilege and have already begun navigating their journey with first-leg encounters.
The Sea Robbers have given themselves a bit of work to do when they face Madagascan side Disciples FC on Friday after being held to a goalless draw in the first leg last weekend. The second leg will take place at the Orlando Stadium with head coach Jose Riveiro desperate to make his mark on the competition with Pirates.
Having already won all domestic cup competitions, the pressure is on the Spanish coach to take Pirates to the next level and win either the Betway Premiership or the Champions League.
Riveiro saw his side create but fail to convert good chances in Mauritius at the weekend, which raises the question of whether he’ll opt for changes to his starting line-up this time around.
The likes of Kabelo Dlamini and Evidence Makgopa came on in the second half and offered up enough to suggest Riveiro has healthy competition for places in his team. With the winner of African Stars (Namibia) and Jwaneng Galaxy (Botswana) waiting in the next round, the Buccaneers will need to raise their level to make their way into the second round of the preliminary stages.
We're heading back to Durban this weekend ☀️
— Stellenbosch FC (@StellenboschFC) August 19, 2024
🆚 Nsingizini Hotspurs
🏆 CAF Confederation Cup
🤝 First Prelim. Round, 2nd Leg
🏟 Moses Mabhida Stadium
📅 Saturday, 24 August
🕙 15h00
🎟️ R50.00 from TicketPro pic.twitter.com/GhpgoITGVK
On Saturday, Stellies and Nsingizini Hotspurs return to the Moses Mabhida Stadium at 3pm for the second leg of their first preliminary round encounter.
The two teams were levels apart last week as Stellies came away with a three-goal advantage and put one foot in the next round of the competition where Congolese giants AS Vita club await.
Having established such a healthy lead, it remains to be seen whether Stellies head coach Steve Barker will change his starting line-up with the MTN8 semi-final against Sundowns also on the horizon.
One thing is for sure, both Stellies and Pirates will be out to finish the job and join Sundowns and Sekhukhune in the second round of their competitions.