5 takeaways from Orlando Pirates’ narrow CAFCL win

5 takeaways from Orlando Pirates’ narrow CAFCL win
Credit: Icon Sport

Orlando Pirates endured a tough battle against Djabal in their first leg matchup of the CAF Champions League preliminary round on Saturday.

The encounter ended 0-1 in favour of the Buccaneers, with in-form forward Zakhele Lepasa scoring the only goal of the game.

Here are the five takeaways from the Orlando Pirates narrow win over Djabal.

Richard Ofori could take Chaine's place in goal

Ofori was impressive for Orlando Pirates in goal against Djabal in his first start of the season. The team's first choice goalkeeper, Sipho Chains have been underwhelming around the sticks for the Bucs with calls around concerned supporters of the club for his replacement as number one goalie.

Zakhele Lepasa's form, good for the Buccaneers

Lepasa was a menace for Djabal defenders during the minutes he was on the field of play, getting the only goal of the game in the later stages of the encounter.

Lepasa was particularly short of services in the game but was decisive enough to be the difference maker for his side. He has so far scored five goals this season, and will once again headline the attack against Djabal in the return leg.

Coach José Riveiro's lineup steak was a near miss

Riveiro gave the starting berth to four of his players: goalkeeper Richard Ofori, defender Innocent Maela, defender Sandile Mthethwa and forward Bienvenu Eva Nga but his side failed to score as many times as expected largely due to their ineffectiveness in front of goal.

To be fair, all four players proved themselves in the game but the match could have ended scoreless had Lepasa not saved the day for the Bucs.

The return leg will be different with the coach expected to revert to his usual lineup that has scored goals so far this campaign.

Neither team showed efficiency in front of goal

Djabal vs Orlando Pirates first leg preliminary match of the CAF Champions League witnessed wastefulness from the attackers on both ends. The match could have easily ended on a high-scoring note barring the inefficiency of the forwards in the game.

Orlando Pirates' winning streak intact

The former champions of this competition have in time past dominated Djabal, and Jose Riveiro's team appear to continue their winning streak that has now extended to three games against the Comorans.

Orlando Pirates and Djabal will square off again on 25 August for the second leg, this clash will take place at the Orlando Stadium.

This article was most recently revised and updated 1 year ago

Joseph Abadi
Joseph is a freelance writer who spends most of his time writing engaging football contents. Based in Nigeria, Joseph is a die-hard Real Madrid fan with over 8 years experience in the sports betting space. He has covered football match previews, predictions, and news across leagues in Africa and Europe.
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