Orlando Pirates vs Saint-Eloi Lupopo - Bucs seek miracle to salvage CAF Champions League campaign

Real Madrid manager Xabi Alonso has expressed his belief that Kylian Mbappé contributes more to the team than just goal-scoring, highlighting his broader influence on the squad.

Orlando Pirates are set to face a crucial CAF Champions League second leg match against Saint-Éloi Lupopo, aiming to overcome a 3-0 deficit from the first leg, with the team relying on the support of their home crowd at Orlando Stadium, known as 'The Ghost'.

In the first leg of the second preliminary round, Pirates suffered a surprising 3-0 loss to Lupopo in Lubumbashi, with goals from Wanet Kashala in the 3rd minute, Dramane Kambou in the 70th minute, and Jean Benoît Tukumbane in the 88th minute, leaving their Champions League campaign in jeopardy.

The defeat was a setback for Pirates, who had been in strong form with a recent MTN8 title win and a favorable position in the Betway Premiership, but they now face a significant challenge as they failed to score an away goal, meaning if Lupopo scores once in the second leg, Pirates would need to score five goals to advance, or a 3-0 win would send the match directly to penalties.

The second leg is scheduled for Saturday, October 25 at 15:00 CAT (13:00 GMT) at Orlando Stadium in Soweto, and it will be broadcast on SuperSport channel 205 on DSTV.

On the injury front, Relebohile Mofokeng remains unavailable for Orlando Pirates and the national team after being stretchered off in a previous match, with no clear return date, though the team otherwise has good health coverage despite past backline issues, and the expected lineup includes Sipho Chaine as goalkeeper.