Cruel lesson from Esperance

Although it must be noted that Orlando Pirates started their CAF Champions League campaign on a lukewarm note with that 0-0 result against FC Platinum in a game they had no business not winning considering the support they enjoyed in neighbouring Zimbabwe, it is their back-toback displays against Esperance that have led to them sitting in an uncomfortable position on the standings. The Soweto giants hosted the Champions League defending champions on February 2 at Orlando Stadium and, by all accounts, should have walked away with a victory. The importance of capitalizing on home ground advantage cannot be overemphasized enough and, despite the fact that they were on the wrong side of two dubious calls from the referee, Bucs will look back at that game with a sense of regret. It can be argued that the North Africans came to South Africa for a point and their smiles after the game said it all! The Buccaneers, however, would have to live to fight another day. After all, somehow in the past, they have managed to come away with positive results from away fixtures, mainly due to there being less pressure from the crowd. The return leg was to be played in front of empty stands, a result of punishment meted out to Esperance for fan violence in a previous CAF Champions League encounter. What’s more, Pirates had in the past broken the hearts of the Esperance faithful when they draw 1-1 against them in the semifinals in their own turn turf back in 2013, en- suring they marched to the final on the away goal rule. This time around, though, it turned out into almost a training session for the home side, as they secured a comfortable 2-0 victory and could have scored more goals had it not been for the brilliance of Wayne Sandilands in goal. Pirates were flat-footed and never managed to get out of first gear. In fact, you would be forgiven for thinking the Buccaneers were still back in Johannesburg, waiting to board their flight – such was their pedestrian performance on the day. It seems, on the evidence of it, Esperance were intent on collecting no less than four points from the South Africans: mission achieved! The lesson for the Soweto giants is quite simple: in the CAF Champions League, win your home games, by hook or crook because you don’t know what’s going to happen away. That then gives you room to play for a draw away, something that the North African sides seem to have perfected over the years. If ever there is a positive to be taken out of a humbling defeat, then for Pirates it is that they played against the defending champions and the two-legged fixture was an opportunity to gauge how far they are in terms of standard and quality against the best on the continent. The truth of the matter is that, although Milutin Sredojevic’s side appear to be a force locally, they still have a lot of work to do when traversing the length and breadth of the continent. You have to be better at defending set-pieces. You have to convert the chances you create.