Pirates to meet jungle club in Libreville
ORLANDO Pirates will next meet CF Mounana of Gabon in the third round of the African Confederation Cup and travel away for the first leg in less than a fortnight.
The match is likely to be played at the Stade Augustin Monedan in Sibang, a suburb of the capital Libreville, on April 18.
The club ’ s base in the town of Mounana, a 10-hour drive away into the jungle, does not have an adequate stadium.
Having to relocate their home games in the Confederation Cup this year has not seemed to have bothered Mounana, the 2012 league champions, though.
They have netted nine home goals in the first two rounds of competition, beating Polisi of Zanzibar 5-0 in the opening round in February and Power Dynamos of Zambia 4-0 in the first leg of their second-round tie last month.
Over the Easter weekend, Mounana lost 3-0 in the return match in Kitwe but still advanced with a 4-3 aggregate triumph.
Pirates qualified for the next round following a 2-2 draw with Ugandan side URA on Saturday, with Mpho Makola and Oupa Manyisa scoring for the Buccaneers.
Mounana, coached by former Gabon international Kevin Ibinga, had three players in the Gabon squad that competed at the Africa Cup of Nations finals in Equatorial Guinea in January – back-up goalkeeper Stephane Bitseki, fullback Aaron Ondele Appindangoye and midfielder Bonaventure Sokambi.
Pirates will host Mounana in the return leg on Saturday, May 2, and if they progress, they face one more knockout round before being able to book a place in the group stages.