Orlando Pirates will look to secure their place in the group stage of the CAF Champions League with victory at home to Jwaneng Galaxy on Friday.
Bucs are 1-0 down from the first leg where Daniel Msendami scored the only goal of the game at the Botswana National Stadium on 21 minutes.
While Pirates have enjoyed a mixed start to their current campaign, with just two wins from their opening five DStv Premiership fixtures, they are also in the final of the MTN8 after beating Stellenbosch over two legs.
Galaxy, meanwhile, are yet to kick off their new season, having won the previous campaign by an impressive 12 points ahead of second-placed Gaborone United.
Ahead of the game, Bucs boss Jose Riveiro said his side can overturn their first-leg defeat.
He said on iDiski Times: “Look it doesn’t matter, it’s about us tomorrow to perform our best, it’s a home game against a good team, an opponent that is leading already 1-0, it’s a challenge but we love the challenges.
A huge week of work ahead for Jose Riveiro and Orlando Pirates that are playing Jwaneng in the CAF Champions League on Friday at Orlando.
— Joseph Bertrand (@JoBertrand19) September 25, 2023
After the 1-0 loss in Botswana, nothing but a good win will see the Bucs go through the #CAFCL Group Stages.
Let's call a spade a spade.… pic.twitter.com/OOzU8YJOa5
“This one is an opportunity to prove that even in difficult circumstances, we can make it, we can be our best version tomorrow and the games we already played in the competition are not going to play tomorrow, it won’t be played tomorrow.
“What happened in Botswana is in the past and tomorrow we have the opportunity to write an important page in the club history, for our future, for many things like you hear with the captain, the players really want to go to the competition [group[ stages] and test themselves and test themselves against the best teams in the continent.”
Galaxy coach Morena Ramoreboli added on FARPost: “We are not in this stage for the first time, We know the challenges, the pressure we face going away.
“But we will always try our level best to give our all in every opportunity we get. So going away and facing Orlando Pirates we know it’s not going to be easy but we will do our best to make sure that we get the results we want.”
Ramoreboli continued: “Orlando Pirates is a big team and it’s up to you if you decide to go and press them high and expose areas where they want to play. Try to close certain areas where they want to play. As I indicated, they are very deadly at playing into those half-spaces.
“So it’s up to you whether you want to play an open game and allow them to get into those spaces. If you know what you want to do, you will understand the importance of being patient.”
