Bucs favourite to see off Leopards
ORLANDO Pirates embark on their African Champions League adventure tomorrow night with a credible chance of emerging continental champions at the end of the year.
The Buccaneers, having looked most efficient emerging from a taxing preliminary round programme, begin their Group A campaign with a home match against the unknown AC Leopards from the Congo at Orlando Stadium [8pm kickoff].
Pirates also share their group with Cairo giants Al Ahli and Zamalek, both of whom they will meet over the next month.
Pirates can determine their own fortune, but it depends heavily on how they emerge for the new campaign after a long and bruising last campaign where their fatigue was all too obvious.
Roger de Sa’s side relied too heavily on the likes of Oupa Manyisa, Andile Jali, Daine Klate, Happy Jele and veteran Lucky Lekgwathi to deliver match after match last season, placing upon them a heavy burden that stretched the players to their limits.
They were all playing on empty tanks by the start of May, and will not have had much of a holiday after being forced to return early for preseason training because of the start of the Champions League two weeks before the Premier Soccer League season kicks off.
The failure of management to inject significant new blood into the squad could come back to haunt them.
It is likely Siyabonga Sangweni will not regain full fitness given his persistent knee problems, and upfront where they struggled last season, the club have turned to unproved Lennox Bacela.
But Pirates are arguably the most talented of the teams in the eight-club Champions League field and must be fancied to finish in the top-two placings and advance to the semifinals.