Written by: Kamogelo Mogale
Orlando Pirates have crashed out of the TotalEnergies CAF Champions League following their 5-4 penalties defeat to St. Eloi Lupopo of the DRC at the Orlando stadium on Saturday afternoon. The Buccaneers went into this game with the permutation of needing a victory or score three goals in order to take the match into penalties to book a spot in the group stages.
The 2024/25 CAF Champions League semifinalists began the match on a high tempo, holding most of the ball. The Bucs welcomed Eloi Lupopo at home under immense pressure, looking to overturn a three-goal deficit after suffering a shock 3-0 defeat in Lubumbashi last weekend.
The Soweto Giants welcomed Eloi Lupopo at home under immense pressure to overturn a three-goal deficit after suffering a shock 3-0 defeat in Lubumbashi last weekend. Masindi Nemtajela continued his rich fine of form as he opened the scoring for The Sea Robbers in the 39th minute with a clean strike outside the box.
At the stroke of half-time, both sides were down to 10-men after Tshepang Moremi and Chris Sumbu received their matching orders, red carded for fouls committed off the ball, with tempers’ boiling as several scuffles flared between the two sides, with Pirates having it all to do against a ultra-defensive Lupopo set-up.
Pirates continued attacking in the second half and their efforts were rewarded as Yonela Mbuthuma headed in a corner to send the team into raptures and make it an electric atmosphere in the last 20 minutes. Bafana Bafana international Oswin Appollis sealed the deal with a dramatic equalizer with the last shot of the game to send the match to penalties.
The 1995 champions lost 5-4 on penalties to crash out of the competition. Pirates will look to forget about this defeat, dust themselves off and shift their focus on the next assignment, which will be against old foes Magesi FC in the quarterfinals of the Carling Knockout Cup at the same venue, a deja vu match.
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