CAF Champions League: African Stars coach confident of comeback against Orlando Pirates

African Stars coach Gerald Güther has backed his side to fight back against Orlando Pirates after suffering a narrow 1-0 defeat in the first leg of their CAF Champions League second preliminary round tie.

The Namibian side hosted the South African champions at the Botswana National Stadium in Gaborone on Saturday but were unable to secure a positive result ahead of the return leg.

Tshepang Moremi scored the decisive goal for Pirates, handing the visitors a slender advantage going into the second leg at Orlando Stadium this weekend.

Despite the defeat, African Stars put up a spirited performance against a Pirates side that had lost just one of their previous 14 matches.

Güther remains optimistic about his team’s chances of turning the tie around, insisting that his players will give everything in the return fixture.

“We are not down and out. We still have another 90 minutes to go, and we are definitely planning to give it everything,” Güther said, according to The Namibian.

The coach admitted that his side struggled to impose themselves during the opening stages of the contest, allowing Pirates too much possession.

“Losing was definitely not something we planned for. The first 25 minutes were difficult, as we allowed them too much possession. We wanted to put them under more pressure,” he added.

African Stars must score in South Africa to keep their Champions League hopes alive, although they will also need to prevent Pirates from extending their advantage.

Güther acknowledged the challenge facing his team but urged his players to put the defeat behind them and focus on the return leg.

“We need to dust ourselves off and prepare for the next game,” he said.