Orlando Pirates head coach Abdeslam Ouaddou has stressed the importance of securing a positive result away from home as the Buccaneers prepare to face Namibian Premier League champions African Stars in the second round of the CAF Champions League preliminary qualifiers.
Pirates travel to Gaborone, Botswana, for Saturday’s first leg before hosting the return fixture at Orlando Stadium next Friday, with a place in the group stages firmly in their sights.
- ALSO READ: Ouaddou Provides Appollis Update After Injury Scare
- Ouaddou Makes Bold Claim Over Pirates Rising Star
The Buccaneers will be eager to avoid a repeat of last season’s disappointment, having suffered elimination at the same stage against DR Congo outfit St Eloi Lupopo.
Ouaddou admits that last season’s early exit serves as a valuable lesson, with Pirates determined to go further in Africa’s premier club competition this campaign.
“It will be important to come back with a positive result because really it’s a big challenge for us. This year we need to be in the group stages. Last season, unfortunately, we were knocked out by Lupopo,” Ouaddou said.
“It’s a big, big target this season. We took a lesson from last season, it will be important to come back with a very good result, so when we return home, we have an opportunity to qualify for the second game.”
Meanwhile, the Pirates coach revealed that preparations for African Stars have already begun, although analysing their opponents has presented some challenges, with the Namibian champions yet to start their domestic league campaign.
‘We already started to study them’
Ouaddou confirmed that his technical team has gathered footage and information on African Stars but intends to conduct further analysis in the days leading up to the encounter.
“It’s difficult [to study them], they didn’t start the league, but we have some footage. We already started to study the team, we have some information, and we have to go a little bit deeper in the next days,” he added.
Pirates will hope their preparations translate into a strong performance in Gaborone, giving them an advantage ahead of next Friday’s decisive return leg in Soweto.
With last season’s elimination still fresh, the Buccaneers know that a positive result away from home could prove crucial in their quest to secure a place in the Champions League group stages.