Orlando Pirates are in the Democratic Republic of Congo ahead of their CAF Champions League second preliminary round first-leg encounter against Saint-Éloi Lupopo in Lubumbashi on Sunday.
Kick-off is at 15:00 (SA time).
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It’s the first of two legs in this crucial qualification round with a spot in the group stage of the prestigious competition up for grabs.
Significant step up
The fixture pits the 1995 champions against the Congolese outfit, whose history in the top echelons of African club competition dates back to its initial years.
Hosted at the Stade Frederic Kibasa Maliba, the all-important fixture is a significant step up in competition for Orlando Pirates who coasted to a 7-0 aggregate win against Lesotho’s Lioli in the previous round.
With both legs of their tie against Tse Nala contested within South Africa’s borders, Abdeslam Ouaddou’s troops now step out of familiar territory for the first time this season in West Africa.
A hostile reception from the stands is almost guaranteed throughout the 90 minutes.
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The start of the 2025/26 edition of the CAF Champions League coincides with the latter part of the off-season in the DRC, but the team affectionately known as Les Cheminots (The Railmen) have had the opportunity to dust off the cobwebs in their intensely-contested two-legged tie against the Sudanese outfit, Al Merrikh SC.
They spent most of their home leg with a one-man advantage after their opponents were reduced to 10 men in the 28th minute, but only made their numerical superiority count with only six minutes left on the clock when defender Mokonzi Katumbwe provided the winner.
That strike from the 25-year-old proved to be the decisive blow, with no further goals emerging from the rest of the tie as the West Africans held on for a goalless draw in the decisive second leg in Benghazi.
The result of the latter fixture sealed their spot in the second round and was their fourth stalemate in their five most recent fixtures, following a run of three consecutive draws that saw them miss out on league glory by a whisker in the previous season.
Similar outcomes have followed them into their pre-season friendlies played over the past week, where they played to another goalless draw against local rivals JS Bazano before producing an identical result against AS Simba.
Home Dominance
As their last CAF Champions League opponents would also discover, Lupopo are a difficult nut to crack in their backyard.
Their home record was crucial to their domestic league title charge as they collected 16 out of a possible 21 points during the Championship Phase of Linafoot Ligue 1.
AS Maniema Union were the only side to claim all three points away to Les Cheminots, while record Congolese champions TP Mazembe also walked off with a point courtesy of a one-all draw in the penultimate round of the league campaign.
The passionate home crowd is one of the factors that their success has been widely attributed to, while their familiarity with the artificial surface could add to their advantage.
It will require an assured effort from Orlando Pirates who will be somewhat familiar with such underfoot conditions, having faced Madagascar’s Djabal on a similar turf en route to a semifinal finish last season.
Continental Record
Lupopo have been a consistent feature in continental competition in recent years, qualifying for the CAF Confederation Cup in three consecutive seasons.
They have, however, failed to make it to the knockout stages on each occasion, exiting in the second preliminary round in their last two attempts.
Their best finish during this period came in the 2022/23 season when they made it past the playoff rounds before finishing third in a group featuring eventual semi-finalists Marumo Gallants and USM Alger.
Their last significant strides in the elite tier of African club competition were made well over 40 years ago.
This was when they reached the semi-finals of the then-Africa Cup of Champions Club in 1982 in what remains their best finish in the tournament.
It was their second appearance in the knockout rounds and they have yet to repeat the feat since, as they suffered early elimination in each of their next six attempts.
Players to Watch
Simon Omossola: Fresh from a national call-up, the Cameroonian shot-stopper is one of the more high-profile names in the Lupopo camp. The 27-year-old kept two clean sheets in the first round, and will be key to his side’s defensive effort.
Miché Mika: The midfield workhorse boasts valuable experience in continental football, having previously represented TP Mazembe in both the Champions League and the Confed Cup. Besides his leadership quality, Mika provides tireless energy and versatility in the middle of the park where he can be utilised in a deep-lying role as well as the more advanced slot behind the forwards.
Abdoul Latif Goumey: The left winger is one of the Congolese side’s latest recruits, and boasts a handful of caps for Niger at just 20-years-old. A livewire upfront, Goumney can operate as a centre-forward while also covering either flank.
About Lioli
Based in the mining city of Lubumbashi, Les Cheminots were formed in 1939 and are the fourth most successful club in the DRC top tier with six league titles to their name.
They first achieved league success in 1958 before repeating the feat 10 years later, while also adding two domestic cup titles to their tally.
Lupopo’s most successful period began in the 1980s when they clinched three league titles in the space of a decade.
They were last victorious in 2002, and finished as runners up three times in the period between 2005 and 2009.
This was before coming agonisingly close in their most recent campaign, finishing just two points short of first-time champions Aigles du Congo in the Championship Round.
Back in the Champions League after a 15-year absence, Lupopo could be a significant hurdle in Orlando Pirates’ bid to launch another lengthy run in the competition.
