Orlando Pirates backed to overcome La Cure Sylvester in CAF Champions League opener

Former PSL striker Jean-Marc Ithier expects Orlando Pirates to comfortably overcome Mauritian champions La Cure Sylvester SC in their CAF Champions League first-leg tie on Sunday.

The two sides meet in the first preliminary round at 13:30 South Africa time, with Pirates travelling to Mauritius as strong favourites to advance. Their confidence has been underpinned by an impressive run of results in domestic football, while Ithier believes the current standard of the game in Mauritius has declined significantly.

Ithier, who is Mauritian, questioned whether La Cure Sylvester SC will be able to match a Pirates side that he feels has reached a new level in recent seasons.

“La Cure Sylvester, their standard has dropped considerably from the time that we were there, so I actually don’t know much what to expect from them in this match,” Ithier told KickOff.

He acknowledged that La Cure Sylvester SC must still be regarded as the best team in Mauritius after winning the domestic title, but said that achievement did not necessarily indicate they could compete with Pirates.

“But if they’ve been champions there in Mauritius, it means they’ve been better than the others. But in terms of where Pirates are and the way they are playing at the moment, they are full of confidence. They’ve gone to the next level, so I think they’ve got all the tools to win there and win here in South Africa. I think they’ll have too much for them.”

Ithier said Pirates’ progress over the past two seasons had made them a significantly stronger team and insisted their current form should give them a clear advantage in the continental tie.

“Pirates have improved over the last couple of seasons. The way they are playing at the moment, they are full of confidence. They will definitely win,” he added.

The former striker also attributed the struggles of Mauritian football to poor administration. He said weak management had contributed to the loss of sponsorship, leaving clubs without the financial backing required to develop and compete at a higher level.

Ithier now works in the tourism industry and said conversations with Mauritians visiting South Africa had reinforced his view that football on the island had fallen a long way.

“The management has gone down. I’m in the tourism business, so I meet a lot of Mauritians or compatriots coming here for holidays, so we talk a lot about football, and they tell me how football has gone so low over there because of bad management.”

He added that the financial consequences of poor administration were particularly damaging for clubs and the wider game.

“It has dropped considerably. In football, when the management is poor, you don’t have sponsors. When you don’t have sponsors, it means you don’t have money,” Ithier concluded.