Orlando Pirates face 2,500-capacity stadium in CAF Champions League opener

Orlando Pirates will begin their 2026/27 CAF Champions League campaign against La Cure Waves at the 2,500-seater St. Francois Xavier Stadium after being drawn to face the Mauritian side in the first preliminary round.

The draw for the opening two rounds of Africa’s premier club competition took place in Cairo on Thursday afternoon, with Pirates handed a two-legged tie against opponents who were playing in the third division of Mauritian football as recently as the 2022/23 season.

The first leg will be played between 4 and 6 September, before the return match takes place from 11 to 13 September. La Cure Waves will host the opening fixture at their modest home ground.

Reigning champions Mamelodi Sundowns were given a first-round bye and will enter the competition in the second preliminary round. The Brazilians will meet either Wiliete SC of Angola or Foresters FC of Seychelles.

Sundowns are scheduled to play the first leg away from home between 16 and 18 October, with the return fixture due to follow the next week.

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The draw gives South Africa’s two leading clubs contrasting routes into the group-stage qualification process. Sundowns will begin their defence against the winner of the Wiliete SC and Foresters FC tie, while Orlando Pirates must first negotiate a potentially unfamiliar away trip against La Cure Waves.

Pirates endured a disappointing continental campaign last season under Abdeslam Ouaddou, exiting in the second preliminary round after being eliminated by Saint-Eloi Lupopo.

The club had gone close to reaching the final two seasons ago, when their run ended in the semi-finals following defeat by Pyramids. They will now hope to go further in the next edition and secure a place among the continent’s leading clubs.

Sundowns, meanwhile, enjoyed a memorable 2025/26 campaign, completing an outstanding run by lifting the CAF Champions League trophy. Their success further strengthened their position as Africa’s top-ranked club.

For the Chloorkop-based side, the next objective will be to win a second continental title under head coach Miguel Cardoso and add a third star above the club crest.

The preliminary-round draw also comes as both clubs prepare to balance their African ambitions with domestic commitments. Orlando Pirates enter the competition as domestic treble winners, while Sundowns will begin their title defence as the reigning continental champions.

A separate transfer update concerning further arrivals at Kaizer Chiefs was also highlighted alongside the draw.