The Buccaneers are back in action after the Fifa international break as they bid for a first continental piece of silverware since 1996
Orlando Pirates begin their 2021/22 Caf Confederation Cup campaign with a trip to Brazzaville to face Congolese side Diables Noirs in a first-round, first leg match at Alphonse Massamba-Debat Stadium.
After reaching the quarter-finals of this competition last season, the Buccaneers would be keen to progress further this term.
Having won the 1995 Caf Champions League and the Caf Super Cup the following year, Pirates are yet to lay their hands on the Confederation Cup.
The closest they have come to win this tournament was reaching the final in 2015.
Now, Diables Noirs provide the first hurdle they have to pass through to reach the group stage.
| Game | Diables Noirs vs Orlando Pirates |
| Date | Friday, October 15 |
| Time | 16:30 SA Time |
TV Channel, Live Score & How To Watch
In South Africa, the match is not being shown live.
| TV Channel | Time |
|---|---|
| None | None |
Squads & Team News
No Diables Noirs player has been confirmed as suspended for Friday’s match.
Coach Danh Nsonde will be banking on midfielder Hardy Binguila who boasts the experience of previously playing for AJ Auxerre in Ligue 2 as well as in Albania.
He returns to club football without injury after being an unused substitute for Congo in back-to-back 2022 Fifa World Cup qualifiers against Togo.
The Congolese side’s forward Lorry Nkolo, who has previously had a stint in Algeria, is another player Pirates should be wary of.
Pirates have confirmed they will be without Vincent Pule, who was injured during international duty with Bafana Bafana last Saturday.
The attacker injured himself during warm-up away in Ethiopia and his name had to be struck off the starting line-up.
He then did not feature in the home fixture against Walia ibex on Tuesday and did not even make the bench.
Four other Pirates players – Terrence Dzvukamanja, Tshegifatso Mabasa, Deon Hotto and Frank Mhango – are returning from international duty with their respective countries and have travelled with the team to Brazzaville as confirmed by the club.
Doubtful for Pirates are Innocent Maela and goalkeeper Richard Ofori who, have been recovering from injuries while Thembinkosi Lorch and Zakhele Lepasa are still far from regaining their fitness.
Match Preview
This is the first-ever meeting between Pirates and Diables Noirs.
But Pirates’ last trip to Congo Brazzaville was not a successful one which saw them lose 1-0 to AC Leopards in a Caf Champions League match in 2013.
The two teams had drawn 0-0 in the reverse fixture in Johannesburg, meaning Pirates are yet to beat a team from Congo in Caf inter-club competitions.
They now arrive in Brazzaville in what is their first continental match this season and that comes on the backdrop of having failed to win their last two Premier Soccer League games.
Their opponents Diables Noirs are on a run of 12 unbeaten games in all competitions including eliminating Burundian side Bumamuru in the preliminary round of the Confederation Cup.
Diables Noirs won 1-0 on aggregate after a 0-0 away draw and a victory at home courtesy of Nkolo’s solitary strike.
Pirates’ last match in this competition was a 5-1 aggregate loss to Raja Casablanca in the quarter-finals of last season’s competition.
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