A valiant effort at home was not enough to ensure survival in the CAF Champions League for Orlando Pirates, who bowed out despite launching a remarkable comeback to win 3-0 in the deciding leg of their Second Preliminary Round fixture against Saint-Éloi Lupopo at Orlando Stadium, where they went down on penalties on Saturday afternoon.
Pirates exited the competition after the two-legged tie ended in a 3-3 aggregate score following the second leg in Soweto. This is after sinking to a 3-0 loss in their away leg fixture played in Lumumbashi last Sunday. The result ensured that their spirited effort at home was in vain as they fell short in the shootout after the two sides finished level at the end of the deciding leg, with the hosts eventually failing to make the cut in the group stage of the competition, having done so in its previous edition.
The Soweto Giants needed a convincing victory on home soil to progress past the preliminary rounds, and did not hesitate to control possession early on. Chances were hard to come by in the opening exchanges as they encountered a Lupopo outfit comfortable with sitting back and absorbing the pressure, thanks to their comfortable advantage.
Unable to break into the final third early, Pirates resorted to long-range efforts with the likes of Tshepang Moremi and Patrick Maswanganyi each having a go from a fair distance out. Those ambitious efforts could not yield the desired result as neither player found his bearings.
The hosts continued to probe, and their first shot on target came from midfielder Sihle Nduli who drew a save from goalkeeper Simon Omossola with another effort from range. The Cameroonian’s opposite number Sipho Chaine was also called upon shortly after, pulling off an exceptional save to deny Basiala Amongo.
