Orlando Pirates drawn against Simba SC in CAF Champions League group stage

Orlando Pirates will face Tanzanian club Simba SC, coached by South African Steve Barker, in the group stage of the CAF Champions League.

The South African champions discovered their opponents during Wednesday afternoon’s draw in Cairo, Egypt, after successfully negotiating the qualifying rounds.

Pirates have been placed in Group C alongside Simba SC, Moroccan club RS Berkane and Colombe Sportive.

The draw gives the 1995 CAF Champions League winners another demanding test as they attempt to advance to the latter stages of Africa’s leading club competition.

Abdeslam Ouaddou’s side began their qualifying campaign against Mauritian opponents La Cure Waves. Pirates were held to a goalless draw in the away leg before completing the job in the return match.

The Buccaneers secured a 3-1 victory at Orlando Amstel Arena to progress to the second preliminary round, where they met Namibian champions African Stars.

Pirates edged the first leg 1-0 away in Botswana, putting themselves in a strong position before producing a dominant performance in the return fixture.

A 4-0 home victory completed a 5-0 aggregate success and confirmed their place in the group stage.

They will now face Simba SC, whose coach is Barker, as well as RS Berkane and Colombe Sportive. The meeting with Barker adds a South African connection to a group containing clubs from four different footballing nations.

Pirates will hope the confidence gained from their qualifying results carries into the group stage, where they will face more experienced continental opposition.

The Soweto club’s route to the group phase has included four wins, one draw and five goals scored against African Stars across the two legs. They will now have to maintain that form against teams who have also reached the main competition.

The group-stage campaign is scheduled to begin in November. However, the specific match dates, kick-off times and venues have yet to be confirmed.