Orlando Pirates set sights on CAF Champions League group-stage place

Orlando Pirates coach Abdeslam Ouaddou says his side are determined to reach the CAF Champions League group stages after being knocked out at the same point last season.

Pirates must first overcome Namibian champions African Stars in the second preliminary round, with the opening leg taking place at Botswana National Stadium in Gaborone on Saturday at 3pm.

The return match is scheduled for Orlando Arena on Friday, October 23, with kick-off at 7.30pm.

Pirates were eliminated in the second preliminary round last season by Congolese club FC Saint-Eloi Lupopo. Ouaddou is determined to avoid another early exit and says the team have taken lessons from that campaign.

“It’s very important to come back with a positive result from Botswana,” Ouaddou said at the Carling Knockout Cup launch and draw in Fourways on Wednesday.

“It’s important that this year we get into the group stages. It’s a big, big target. We took a lesson from last season.”

Ouaddou admitted that preparations for the tie had been complicated by the fact that the Namibian league has not yet started, making it difficult for Pirates to obtain recent footage of African Stars.

“But we will get some. We have already started to study them and we have some information … we have to go a little bit deeper going forward,” he added.

The Carling Knockout begins on October 24, with defending champions Pirates drawn at home against newcomers Milford in the opening round.

The league will confirm the dates and kick-off times for those fixtures at a later stage.

Pirates have already played Milford in the league this season, securing a 2-0 victory at home in the opening match in August.