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Pirates thump African Stars to storm into group stages

football23 October 2026 20:39
By:Clyde Tlou
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Orlando Pirates booked their place in the Caf Champions League group stage in emphatic fashion after crushing African Stars 4-0 on Friday night to complete a dominant 5-0 aggregate victory.

The result extended Pirates' impressive record against the Namibian champions, with the Buccaneers remaining unbeaten in four meetings between the two sides, winning three and drawing one. It also secured a sixth appearance in the Caf Champions League group stages for the Soweto giants, having previously reached that phase in 1997, 2006, 2013, 2018-19 and 2024-25.

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Playing in front of their home supporters, Pirates produced a clinical display to record their biggest-ever win over African Stars, surpassing their previous 1-0 victories and finally claiming a first home win against the Namibians after a goalless draw in their last meeting on South African soil.

MOKOBODI GETS PIRATES GOING

Jose Riveiro's charges started brightly and were rewarded in the 17th minute when Thapelo Mokobodi opened the scoring.

The goal was the defender's second in all competitions this season following his MTN8 strike against Sekhukhune United and his first-ever goal in the Caf Champions League. It also marked the first first-half goal scored in the fixture between the two clubs.

Pirates continued to control proceedings and doubled their advantage on the stroke of halftime through Evidence Makgopa, who finally opened his account for the season in the 45th minute.

The Buccaneers took a commanding 2-0 lead into the break, continuing a growing trend of fast starts at home in continental competition after also scoring multiple first-half goals against La Cure Waves in the previous round.

SECOND-HALF BLITZ ENDS CONTEST

The contest was effectively over just a minute after the restart when Mpho Padime announced himself in spectacular fashion.

The youngster found the back of the net in the 46th minute to register his first senior career goal and put Pirates firmly in control of the tie.

With African Stars struggling to contain the hosts, Pirates continued to push forward and were rewarded again in the 77th minute when Makgopa completed his brace to make it 4-0 on the night.

The brace was Makgopa's first in all competitions since a league victory over Polokwane City during the 2024-25 season and took his CAF Champions League tally to four goals. It was also his first strike in the competition since the 2024/25 campaign.

FORTRESS ORLANDO STADIUM

The victory underlined Pirates' growing strength on home soil in Africa.

The Buccaneers have now gone 32 Caf Champions League home matches without defeat, recording 19 wins and 13 draws during that remarkable run. They have also won their last four home matches in the competition, scoring at least three goals in each victory against Lioli, St Eloi Lupopo, La Cure Waves and now African Stars.

Across all competitions, Pirates have won all eight of their home matches this season, scoring two or more goals in every game. Their defensive solidity has been equally impressive, with six clean sheets recorded in those eight fixtures.

AFRICAN STARS FALL SHORT AGAIN

For African Stars, it was another disappointing chapter in their continental history.

The Namibian side have now failed to reach the Caf Champions League group stage in all six of their appearances in the competition, while no club from Namibia has ever featured in the group stages of Africa's premier club tournament.

Their struggles away from home also continued, with African Stars still searching for a first Caf Champions League away victory after six matches on the road. They have now failed to score in five of those six encounters.

The result also maintained South Africa's dominance over Namibian opposition in the Caf Champions League, with South African clubs remaining unbeaten in eight meetings between the nations' representatives.

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