African Stars face Orlando Pirates in one of the most intriguing ties of the CAF Champions League second preliminary round.
Namibia’s champions will take on South Africa’s reigning league champions with both clubs looking to move one step closer to the group stage.
Orlando Pirates enter the tie with a stronger reputation and a squad accustomed to high-level continental football.
However, African Stars have already demonstrated their resilience in this season’s competition and will be motivated by the opportunity to eliminate one of southern Africa’s biggest clubs.
African Stars have earned their place in the second preliminary round after a challenging opening tie against Gabon’s AS Mangasport.
They lost the first leg 3-1 away from home but responded with a 2-0 victory in the return match.
Orlando Pirates arrive as South African champions and one of the strongest clubs in the competition.
They advanced from the first preliminary round by beating Mauritius’ La Cure Waves 3-1 on aggregate, showing enough attacking quality to get through despite a goalless draw in the second leg.
Here is our predicted outcome for the match.
What time does African Stars vs Pirates start?
The match kicks off at 4PM E.A.T at the Botswana National Stadium
African Stars vs Pirates head-to-head and current form
These teams have only played against each other twice in their history, with Pirates edging African Stars 1-0 over two legs in the CAF Champions League in 2018.
Current form:
African Stars – WLLLD
Pirates – WLWWW
African Stars vs Pirates previous games
- African Stars 0-1 Pirates (December 22, 2018)
- Pirates 0-0 African Stars (December 15, 2018)
African Stars vs Pirates prediction
Pirates will likely look to control possession, stretch African Stars across the pitch and create openings through their wide players.
Pirates have the stronger squad on paper and recently responded to their cup-final defeat with a league victory.
This is a two-legged tie, so African Stars may prioritize defensive organization, while Pirates will want to avoid giving the hosts a major advantage. A controlled first leg could produce three goals or fewer.
Prediction – Under 3.5 goals