Orlando Pirates are staring down the barrel of an early exit from the CAF Champions League after suffering a disappointing 3-0 defeat of the 2025/26 second preliminary round to Saint-Éloi Lupopo at the Stade Frederic Kibassa Maliba in Lubumbashi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, on Sunday.
As a result, they’ll face a daunting task as they prepare to host Saint-Éloi Lupopo at Orlando Stadium on Saturday, aiming to overturn a three-goal deficit.
This loss ended the Buccaneers’ impressive 11-match unbeaten streak across all competitions at the hands of the Congolese side in the first leg of their second preliminary round tie.
Last season, the Pirates made an impressive run in the CAF Champions League, reaching the semi-finals under coach Jose Riveiro before being eliminated by the eventual champions, Pyramids FC.
With new head coach Abdeslam Ouaddou at the helm, the Buccaneers have kicked off the 2025/26 season with great success.
They cruised through the first preliminary round, sweeping aside Lioli of Lesotho with a dominant 7-0 aggregate score, and bagged their fourth consecutive MTN8 title in South Africa.
Currently, the club sits third in the Betway Premiership, having accumulated 15 points from seven matches, which includes five wins and two losses.
In the latest rankings from the International Federation of Football History and Statistics (IFFHS), published on October 14, the club was recognised as the seventh-best team on the continent.
