Ouaddou details Pirates’ preparation for Champions League opener

Orlando Pirates coach Abdeslam Ouaddou has detailed the team’s extensive preparation for their CAF Champions League first preliminary round match against Lesotho champions Lioli FC.

The Buccaneers, who reached the semi-finals of Africa’s premier club competition last season, will begin their 2025-26 campaign on Saturday at Free State Stadium in the first leg.

However, their first opponent is a potential “banana peel” in the form of Lioli FC, a relatively unknown team in continental football. For the 1995 champions, this early-stage clash poses a familiar challenge, as the competition has a history of delivering upsets.

Ouaddou, leading a side in the tournament for the first time, emphasised the seriousness with which his squad is approaching the tie.

While the two teams are geographically close, they will be facing each other for the first time. The outcome of their two-legged tie will significantly impact the remainder of both clubs’ seasons.

Lioli FC, unlike Pirates, has only just started their 2025/26 campaign. They began with a dominant 5-0 victory over newly-promoted Members. This win extends an impressive unbeaten streak from late last season.

Over their last five matches, Lioli has a record of four wins and one draw, scoring 11 goals and conceding only one. Their defensive discipline is a key strength, as they conceded more than one goal on just four occasions in their last league campaign. This defensive solidity will be put to the ultimate test against Pirates.

PIRATES ARE READY FOR LIOLI, SAYS OUADDOU

In contrast, Pirates are well into their season, having already played nine matches across all competitions. They enter their Champions League opener fresh from winning a historic fourth consecutive MTN8 title last Saturday. After a shaky start with two league losses, the Buccaneers have found their form, winning three of their last five league games. They’ll look to carry this momentum into their continental journey against Lioli.

“Of course, it’s an important game and we take it very seriously. We are prepared for them, my players are ready,” Ouaddou said.

“It’s a team that we have information [about], we have studied. We know their weaknesses and their strengths, and we are definitely ready to play the game. We are going to play the game with a lot of ambition.”

“Our season started a while ago now, and I think I have to congratulate my boys for the fourth [MTN8] title they won,” added the former Fulham centre-back Ouaddou.

“They did it four times in a row, and it’s historical, but now we have to turn the page. The strength of a big club, the strength of a champion, lies in focusing on the next game.

“It’s football, even if you watched the first two games, of course, the results were not good, but as a tactician, I’m looking for the contents, and they were very interesting, and now it’s the continuation of the work that we have been doing, the focus of the players, the ambition of the players.

𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐥 𝐅𝐨𝐨𝐭𝐛𝐚𝐥𝐥⚽️ 🇱🇸 🇿🇦

Assistant Coach | Mandla Ncikazi:

“It’s a competition of 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐦𝐩𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 from each country. It’s never easy to play a champion from another country”

⚫️⚪️🔴⭐️#OrlandoPirates#OnceAlways pic.twitter.com/9EIDb9RR4q

— Orlando Pirates (@orlandopirates) September 19, 2025