Moremi gives Pirates 1–0 first-leg win over African Stars

Tshepang Moremi scored in the 75th minute as Orlando Pirates beat African Stars 1–0 at the Botswana National Stadium on Saturday, 17 October, taking a narrow lead into the home leg of their CAF Champions League qualifier.

The result leaves the Soweto club ahead after the first match of the second preliminary round. The tie is not yet decided: the return leg in Orlando will determine which team reaches the group stage.

Pirates confirmed both the final score and Moremi’s goal in their official full-time update. The South African side kept a clean sheet away from home against the reigning Namibian champions, whose home fixture was played in Gaborone.

Advantage before the return leg

This was Pirates’ third match in eight days, according to the club’s pre-match briefing. Their domestic programme had already included cup and league football before the trip to Botswana.

Pirates reached this round by beating Mauritius’ La Cure Waves 3–1 on aggregate. All four goals in that tie came in the second leg at Orlando Amstel Arena.

African Stars arrived with a different build-up. Their two matches against Gabon’s Mangasport had been their only competitive fixtures while they waited for the new Namibian Premiership season to begin.

The Namibian side advanced from that opening round on away goals after a 3–3 aggregate draw. Saturday’s defeat leaves them needing to overturn Pirates’ one-goal advantage in Soweto to extend their Champions League campaign.

The clubs also met in this competition in 2018. Pirates progressed from that tie after a goalless first leg in Soweto and a 1–0 away win, secured by Justin Shonga.