Orlando Pirates’ CAF Champions League campaign has ended in a
devastating penalty shoot-out defeat to Saint-Éloi Lupopo, despite a valiant
second-leg comeback.
The exit is a significant setback for the Buccaneers, who reached the
semi-finals of the competition last season. After finding themselves needing
to overturn a deficit, the South African side fought back to score three
goals, only to see their efforts ultimately decided by spot-kicks.
Head coach Abdeslam Ouaddou expressed immense pride in his players despite
the crushing disappointment. “I have nothing to say to the guys, they were
brave,” Ouaddou told SABC Sport. “It wasn’t easy to come back and score
three goals, but we did it. They showed fantastic behaviour during the 90
minutes.”
While congratulating the opponents, Ouaddou firmly believed his team was the
better side. “It’s sad for the players because of the effort they gave,” he
said. “I think we deserved to go through based on the football we showed.
The best team didn’t go through today; the football didn’t win.”
With their continental dreams over, the focus for Pirates now shifts to
domestic duties. “It’s sad such a club won’t be in the Champions League this
season,” Ouaddou concluded. “We have many challenges to defend, and we will
focus on that.”
