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Orlando Pirates bow out of Africa despite brave comeback

football25 October 2025 21:45| © AFP
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South African club Orlando Pirates on Saturday became the first high-profile casualty of the 2025-26 CAF Champions League after losing on penalties to Saint-Eloi Lupopo of the Democratic Republic of Congo.

An Oswin Appollis goal deep in added time gave Pirates a 3-0 second-leg victory in the final round qualifier in Soweto, cancelling the three-goal advantage Lupopo built last weekend.

With the teams tied at 3-3 on aggregate, a shootout followed and the Congolese converted five of six spot kicks to win 5-4 and secure a place in the November 3 group draw in Johannesburg.

After each club converted four of five penalties, the shootout went to sudden death. Berdy Matukala netted for Lupopo, then Yanela Mbuthuma struck his kick wide.

Trying to become the first South African club to overcome a three-goal deficit in a CAF tie, Pirates led 1-0 at halftime through a Masindi Nemtajela goal.

Tshepang Moremi of Pirates and Cristopher Sumbu of Lupopo were red-carded just before the break, reducing both teams to 10 men.

Substitute Mbuthuma doubled Pirates' second-leg lead on 68 minutes and livewire South African international Appollis struck five minutes into added time.

The dramatic victory took Lupopo, from Lubumbashi, into the group stage for the first time after four failed attempts.

Success also made the Congolese club at least $700 000 richer while Pirates exited with a $100 000 appearance fee.

Rivers United ensured a Nigerian presence in the 16-club group phase, which kicks off on 21 November, by beating Mozambican visitors Black Bulls 3-1 in Uyo.

Timothy Zachariah claimed the crucial third goal for Rivers on 76 minutes, giving his team a 3-2 overall victory.

Record 12-time African champions Al Ahly from Egypt edged Burundian visitors Aigle Noir 1-0 in Cairo and 2-0 on aggregate after playing 75 minutes of the second leg with 10 men.

Slovenian forward Nejc Gradisar was sent off after 15 minutes of a match won by an Omar Kamal goal just before the hour mark.

Dickson Job and Ivorian Pacome Zouzoua scored in the first half to give Young Africans of Tanzania a 2-0 home win over Silver Strikers of Malawi.

The Dar es Salaam outfit advanced 2-1 on aggregate.

Other clubs to reach the group stage included two former champions, JS Kabylie of Algeria and FAR Rabat of Morocco and Petro Luanda of Angola.

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