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NELSPRUIT, SOUTH AFRICA – JUNE 01: Jose Riveiro of Orlando Pirates during the Nedbank Cup, final match between Mamelodi Sundowns and Orlando Pirates at Mbombela Stadium on June 01, 2024 in Nelspruit, South Africa. (Photo by Dirk Kotze/Gallo Images)
Last season, Orlando Pirates suffered a disappointing exit from the CAF Champions League, failing to reach the group stages after a loss to Botswana’s Jwaneng Galaxy.
Reflecting on this setback, former Bucs defender and captain Lucky Lekgwathi pinpointed their strategic misstep: the decision to not field the strongest team.
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In a conversation with Soccer Laduma, Lekgwathi emphasized the importance of deploying the best players in crucial matches like those in the Champions League.
“It’s good that we are back in the Champions League again this season. But I hope and think we have learnt from our mistake last season when we were experimenting with the fringe players against Jwaneng Galaxy. You don’t experiment with Champions league games,” said the Siya source.
“If you want to do well and go far in the Champions league you field your best team. Champions league is for the best – not the fringe players like we did last season. There is no need to rotate in the Champions League because that will affect the performance like it did last season,” Lekgwathi advised.
Lekgwathi, who was part of the Pirates squad that reached the 2013 CAF Champions League final, believes that the current team has the potential to achieve significant success if they leverage their squad depth appropriately.
“We have depth in the team. We have a team that competes in the Champions League and can go as far as they want. Let’s use that to our advantage and go all the way in the Champions League. I think we can learn from Mamelodi Sundowns on the way they do things in the Champions League as well. It’s about time we won our second star in Africa and I believe the squad we have now can achieve that,” Lekgwathi observed.
As Pirates prepare to open their CAF Champions League campaign against Madagascar’s Disciples FC, the stakes are high. Should they advance, they will face Jwaneng Galaxy, the same team that ousted them last season.
This upcoming campaign presents an opportunity for Pirates to redeem themselves and apply lessons learned from their previous shortcomings, potentially paving the way for a deeper run in the prestigious tournament.
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