Orlando Pirates youngster Cristian Derbyshire backs Champions League title bid

Orlando Pirates defender Cristian Derbyshire believes his side can complete the job against La Cure Waves and go on to win the CAF Champions League this season.

The Buccaneers drew 0-0 away to the Mauritian side in the first leg of the first preliminary round on Sunday, with the return match scheduled for Orlando Amstel Arena on Saturday at 15:00.

Derbyshire made his senior debut in Mauritius, starting at right-back, and said Orlando Pirates were encouraged by their performance despite failing to score.

“It’s never easy going away from home, even the country, to play outside; it’s never easy. I think we played well; we just didn’t take our chances. We dominated the game, and the other team just sat back,” Derbyshire told Pirates’ media department.

“But it was a good performance, just not the result we wanted. Drawing away from home is going to be beneficial for us when we go back because we know how it is at home. We will do the job at home.”

The 20-year-old said the goalless draw had left Orlando Pirates well placed before the decisive second leg, particularly because they will return to familiar surroundings for the match.

Derbyshire also spoke of the club’s determination to go further in the competition after coming close in previous years. He described the current campaign as the beginning of a fresh effort to achieve continental success.

“Right now we are calling this [Champions League journey] a new chapter. Obviously in the past we’ve got close, but now to the final point. We are strong and we really want this. It’s a new chapter, and we are going to make this work,” Derbyshire said.

His own involvement in the campaign has added to the significance of the trip. Derbyshire said he had been excited even before the squad travelled to Mauritius, after being asked to bring his passport, and admitted that the prospect of making his first-team debut had affected his sleep.

“I have been excited since before the trip when I was asked to bring my passport. Sometimes I struggled to sleep about this [making his Bucs debut]. It’s every player’s dream to make a debut at such a big club … making it in the Champions League is even crazier.”

The match against La Cure Waves represented a landmark moment for the Orlando Pirates youngster, who was making his senior debut on one of African club football’s biggest stages.

Despite the lack of goals, Derbyshire viewed the outcome positively and said the team’s dominance in the opening match gave them confidence ahead of Saturday’s return fixture.

Orlando Pirates will need a victory at home to progress from the first preliminary round and continue their CAF Champions League campaign. Derbyshire, however, has already set his sights beyond the tie, insisting the Buccaneers have the strength and ambition to compete for the trophy.