La Cure Waves — Orlando Pirates: Mauritius champions face South African champions
La Cure Waves SC
The CAF Champions League qualifiers are entering the first round, and we have an intriguing African clash on our hands. On 6 September, La Cure Waves will host Orlando Pirates in the first leg of the first preliminary round. This is a tie that looks uneven on paper, but the hosts should certainly not be written off in advance.
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La Cure Waves are the reigning champions of Mauritius, and the title was a historic achievement for the club. The team won the national Super League for the first time in its history, collecting 43 points from 18 matches with a goal difference of 50:20. Moreover, in the spring, Waves completed a historic double by also winning the Mauritius Cup.
For the hosts, this will be the first CAF Champions League match in the club's history. Their motivation will therefore be sky-high. The team have been waiting a long time for the opportunity to test themselves at continental level and now face an opponent with a completely different level of international experience.
There is, however, one serious issue. The Mauritian domestic championship finished back in the spring, while the new season does not begin until November. To prepare for their continental campaign, La Cure Waves took part in the MFA Challenge Cup. On 30 August, the team beat the Mauritius U20 national team 2-0 and won the tournament. So the hosts have at least had some competitive action ahead of their meeting with the Pirates.
Orlando Pirates, meanwhile, are currently playing at a completely different tempo. The South Africans have made an excellent start to the new season and, after five rounds of the Betway Premiership, sit at the top of the table: four wins, one draw and no defeats, with a goal difference of 13:2. Their latest opponents were Kruger United, whom the Pirates thrashed 4-0.
The visitors' attack is particularly impressive at the moment. Boitumelo Radiopane is in excellent form, while Yanela Mbuthuma has been regularly involved in goals in recent matches. In the victory over Kruger, Mbuthuma scored and provided an assist, while Radiopane also found the net.
However, the Pirates have their own problems. Head coach Abdeslam Ouaddou has effectively had to rebuild the squad over the summer, with 17 players leaving the club, including several important members of last season's team. In addition, Talente Mbatha, Sile Nduzulu and Evidence Makgopa are injured. Gampani Lungu is also a doubt after picking up an injury in the latest match.
And this is where the intrigue begins. Orlando Pirates are objectively stronger in terms of quality and experience, but they will have to play away from home on an artificial surface and in unfamiliar conditions. Last season's early Champions League exit already showed that underestimating an opponent in Africa can prove very costly.
The first leg will be particularly important for La Cure Waves. The hosts do not necessarily need to rush forward — it would be much wiser to remain compact, withstand the early pressure and try to keep the score level until the final minutes. For the Pirates, the task is clear: score as early as possible and, ideally, take a comfortable advantage back to Johannesburg ahead of the second leg on 12 September.
My prediction — Over 3.5 goals.
