Exclusive: Pirates Aim to Bounce Back in Ivory Coast After Hard-Fought Al Ahly Draw

Orlando Pirates will make the long trip to West Africa to take on Ivorian side Stade d’Abidjan, who are winless in the two matches they have played so far in Group C of the CAF Champions League 2024/25 season.

Points up for grabs

They come up against an Orlando Pirates side that has been in good form for most parts of the season, but they have had their confidence dented in their last two encounters against Stellenbosch FC locally and Egyptian giants Al Ahly.

Their goalless draw against the Red Devils was, however, an improved showing at the back of their surprise 1-0 loss at home against Stellies in the league.

The Sea Robbers made their long-awaited return to the Champions League group stages for the first time since the 2018/19 season, and with four points collected from a possible six, it has been a decent start to their campaign.

Their impressive start in the league has also pinned them as hot favorites to put a halt to Mamelodi Sundowns’ league dominance, which they've enjoyed for the past seven seasons, winning seven league titles in a row.

Pirates won their third successive MTN8 competition earlier this season, maintaining their consistent run in cup competitions in South Africa. They also successfully defended their Nedbank Cup title at the end of the 2023/24 season with a 2-1 victory over rivals Sundowns.

An opportunity to rewrite history

Despite their success in domestic competitions, their fight for the league and the premier continental club football has been like chasing a mirage in a desert, and coach Jose Riveiro will be tasked with setting that record straight by securing the club's second continental trophy in their history.

Their immediate challenge will be to see through the tough trip to Ivory Coast against Le Yeyes, who will want to get on the board in their Champions League campaign following losses against Al Ahly (4-2) and Algerian Ligue 1 side CR Belouizdad (0-1).

Stade d’Abidjan’s winless run will be an opportunity for the 1995 champions to keep pressure on Al Ahly and to also tighten their grip on the top two positions in the group as the Egyptian giants attend to the semi-finals of the FIFA Intercontinental Cup in Doha, Qatar, this weekend.

But the task will not be easy, and they will need to be a lot more clinical in front of goal as they missed a lot of chances against the twelve-time champions, especially in the opening half.

A hard-fought stalemate

Defender Thabiso Monyane told Sportsboom.com that the result was decent, especially against the winners of four of the last five campaigns, and he had nothing but praise for his teammates despite the dropped points.

“The result against Al Ahly was very important, bearing in mind that we are playing the defending champions of the CAF Champions League. It was always not going to be easy, and we came to the match knowing what they would come and try to do.”

“We knew there were strengths and weaknesses from their side, so it wasn't easy, and coming out with a point here at home, I wouldn’t say I was not going to take it before the match. It was a very good effort from the team.”

“I felt like on the day we did our best, and they knew that they were tired, and we could see that they were fatigued, but we will look forward from here on.”

Monyane added that playing against teams from the different parts of the continent poses a lot of challenges, but they have taken a lot of lessons in their last two encounters, and those lessons will come in handy as they progress through the season.

“There are always positives, and again, there will always be negatives in football, and you just need to take whatever you can take and move on. It doesn’t mean that you’re neglecting the negatives, but you try and learn and grow from them.”