Orlando Pirates fans face triple-price tickets for CAF Champions League opener in Mauritius

Orlando Pirates’ CAF Champions League campaign will begin with Mauritian supporters being charged three times the usual admission price to watch their side face La Cure Waves on Sunday.

Tickets for the first qualifying-round match have been set at Mauritius Rupee Rs 300, approximately R102, for the 13:00 SA time kick-off at Stade Cote d’Or.

The price has caused concern among some local fans, who believe it is excessive by Mauritian standards. Admission for La Cure Waves’ match in the three-team Mauritius Football Association Challenge Cup last weekend was Rs 100, or about R34.

The increase is understood to have been set with the profile of Orlando Pirates and their return to continental competition in mind. However, some supporters have questioned the cost of watching a match at a stadium with a capacity of fewer than 5,000.

Orlando Pirates will arrive in the Indian Ocean island nation on Friday as they begin their Champions League campaign in the first qualifying round. They will meet the Mauritian champions at Stade Cote d’Or two days later.

La Cure Waves face the fixture without ideal competitive preparation. Mauritius’ domestic league has not yet started, meaning the champions have had limited opportunity to build match sharpness before what is regarded as the biggest game in the club’s history.

Two former Mauritius internationals have told this website that football remains largely amateur on the island. Players are said to earn an average wage of about R5,000, a figure that highlights the difference between the local game and the professional environment in which Orlando Pirates operate.

The match will be only the second time Orlando Pirates have faced opposition from Mauritius in the history of the CAF Champions League.

The Soweto club’s previous meeting with a Mauritian side came in 2006, when they defeated AS Port-Louis 2000 by scoring nine goals across the two legs of their first-round tie.

Orlando Pirates made a decisive start in the away match, with Isaac Chansa, Lelo Mbele, who scored twice, Gift Leremi and Joseph Makhanya finding the net.

Tyren Arendse added two goals in the return fixture, while Daniel ‘Sailor’ Tshabalala and Davies Mwape also scored to complete a comprehensive victory.

Abdeslam Ouaddou’s side will hope for a similarly commanding performance against La Cure Waves, although the Mauritian champions will be aiming to make the most of home advantage despite the lack of domestic competition.

For local supporters, the contest has attracted attention not only because of Orlando Pirates’ continental reputation but also because of the unusually high cost of entry. The Rs 300 charge is being viewed by some as disproportionate, with the criticism particularly focused on the limited size of the venue and the relatively modest economics of football in Mauritius.

The winners will advance in the CAF Champions League qualifying campaign, while the opening fixture will provide La Cure Waves with their first competitive test of the new season.