Orlando Pirates have become the only South African club to reach the group stage of the TotalEnergies CAF Champions League this season. The Buccaneers secured qualification with a commanding 4–0 victory over Namibia’s African Stars at Orlando Amstel Arena on Friday, completing a 5–0 aggregate win in the second preliminary round.

The road to qualification began with a narrower victory away from home. Tshepang Moremi’s 75th-minute goal secured a 1–0 first-leg win at the National Stadium in Gaborone, Botswana. Head coach Abdeslam Ouaddou’s side then returned to South Africa with an advantage to protect and the opportunity to finish the job in front of their supporters.

Pirates left little to chance in the return leg. Thapelo Mokobodi opened the scoring before Evidence Makgopa doubled the lead ahead of half-time. Substitute Mpho Phadime scored with his first touch shortly after the restart, and Makgopa completed his brace 12 minutes from time to seal a convincing victory.

The contrast with their domestic rivals was sharp. Mamelodi Sundowns, who won their second CAF Champions League title in May 2026, were eliminated by Angola’s Wiliete SC on away goals after a 1–1 draw in Pretoria followed a goalless first leg. Kaizer Chiefs also exited continental competition, losing to Zambia’s Red Arrows in the CAF Confederation Cup qualifiers.

For Pirates, qualification marks a second successive appearance in the Champions League group stage, following their run to the semi-finals last season. Rather than ending years of absence, the result builds on their recent continental progress and gives Ouaddou’s team another opportunity to compete with Africa’s leading clubs.

The next challenge will be to carry that momentum into the group stage while balancing domestic commitments. Pirates have completed the qualifying task convincingly; their ambition now is to turn that progress into another sustained continental campaign.