In-form Pirates target Belouizdad scalp in Champions League

Orlando Pirates will be looking to kick off the group phase of the CAF Champions League on a positive note when they face Algerian outfit CR Belouizdad at Stade Du 5 Juillet on Tuesday night (kick off is at 9pm South African time).

The Buccaneers have enjoyed a good start in the Betway Premiership winning all seven of their opening league matches, but the Champions League presents a different challenge.

Having failed last season, the Buccaneers finally managed to reach the group stage of the competition this season, beating Jwaneng Galaxy of Botswana 4-0 on aggregate in the second preliminary round and coach Jose Riveiro was delighted to achieve this feat.

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“For us, it was one of our main objectives to be in the group stage, it’s something that we have to replicate every year, it’s very important to be there with the best teams on the continent,” said Riveiro.

“It’s important for the group. We have a very young team, I think for most of them, it’s their first time in the group stage of the Champions League. It is the first time for the coach as well, it’s the first time in the group stage of the Champions League,” added the Spaniard.

 The Buccaneers are in Group C in the Champions League alongside record winners and reigning champs Al Ahly of Egypt, Ivorian giants Stade d’Abidjan and Belouizdad.

In Belouizdad, Pirates face a  side that has been struggling on the domestic front and they are currently in 12th place on the Algerian Ligue 1 table after registering only two wins in their opening eight league matches. The Algerian side are expected to put on a determined display on home turf though against an in-form Buccaneers side searching for a vital win to kick off their campaign.

Belouizdad have advanced into the knockout stages in three of their last four group campaigns and will be looking to move past their recent disappointment in the tournament where they fell short of the quarterfinals.

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Coach Abdelkader Amrani will be looking at Khanyisa Mayo to provide him with intel on Pirates. Mayo joined the Algerian side on a three-year deal from Cape Town City at the beginning of the season. The Bafana Bafana striker is yet to open his goalscoring account for Belouizdad and will no doubt be looking to do so against Pirates on Tuesday. But the Pirates defence has proved to be a hard nut to crack this season.