Orlando Pirates staged a dramatic comeback but were knocked out of the CAF Champions League after a 3-3 aggregate draw with Saint Eloi Lupopo, losing 5-4 in the penalty shootout. The South African side overturned a 0-3 first-leg deficit with a 3-0 second-leg victory in Soweto, only for penalties to end their campaign. The exit costs Pirates significant prize money, limiting them to $100,000 instead of the $700,000 minimum for the group stage.
Orlando Pirates' CAF Champions League aspirations ended in heartbreak on Saturday in Soweto, where they fell 5-4 in a penalty shootout to Saint Eloi Lupopo of the Democratic Republic of Congo despite a convincing 3-0 win in the second leg. The aggregate score stood at 3-3 after Pirates trailed 0-3 from the first leg in Lubumbashi.
The Buccaneers showed resilience, with Masindi Nemtajela and Yanela Mbuthuma scoring to level the tie before Aswin Appollis netted the decisive third goal in stoppage time. However, the shootout proved cruel, dashing hopes of reaching the group stage for the first time in recent years.
Appollis, who emerged as the match's talisman, expressed the squad's disappointment to OP TV: “We have to be in the Champions League and unfortunately today we got knocked out.” He added, “We managed to score three goals and obviously we’re very disappointed for the team as Orlando Pirates.” Despite the pain, Appollis highlighted positives: “I know the group is disappointed but we can take a lot of positives from this game coming from 3-0 down to score three goals. It’s a positive that we can take into the next game.”
Saint Eloi Lupopo's coach Guy Bukasa noted surprise at Pirates' tactics under Abdeslam Ouaddou, who started without a recognized striker, calling it a gamble.
Financially, the elimination is a blow, as Pirates forgo at least $700,000 for the group stage—rising to $4 million for winners—plus a potential Club World Cup spot in 2029. They receive only $100,000 for participating in the preliminaries, barely covering costs like chartering a plane to Lubumbashi. Meanwhile, teams like Mamelodi Sundowns advance to the group stage after a 7-1 aggregate win over Remo Stars, securing $700,000 minimum.
Lupopo's progression marks a rare group-stage appearance for the Congolese side, joining 14 other qualified clubs with two spots pending.
