John Ndlovu
The Zimbabwe international football team player Daniel Msendami netted an all important goal to hand the Botswana Premiership team Jwaneng Galaxy a historic 1-0 win over South African giants Orlando Pirates in the CAF Champions League second round first leg contest at the Botswana National stadium on Sunday.
Heading into the match, the South African giants were fancied as the favorites to bag a win as shown by their exploits in the primordial campaign of the lower tier continental competition (the CAF Confederations Cup) were they finished runners-up after losing to eventual winners RS Berkane.
The head to head of both teams also favored the Buccaneers as they won the previous duel matches against the Botswana side in the 2021 contest after dispatching the minnows on the Continental stage 1-0 and 3-0 home and away in the CAF Confederations Cup.
The former Bosso winger capitalized on Kutlwelo’s well taken pass in the 23rd minute to send the home fans into derilium in a packed stadium.
The South African giants tried by all means to find redemption but their efforts were futile as they were restricted by the Botswana Premiership side who at the end of the day emerged 1-0 victors over the Bucanners giving them a huge advantage towards booking a berth for continental mini-league group stage heading to the second leg slated for Orlando Stadium in South Africa.
Interestingly Jwaneng Galaxy is also home to another former Bosso star and midfield maestro Nqobizitha Masuku who recently joined the Tswana outfit this season from Bulawayo giants and the duo’s performances will enhance their chances of being selected in the Warriors squad that is set to partake in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers slated for early November against Rwanda and African giants Nigeria away and home respectively.
In other CAF Champions league matches Malawian side Nyasa Big Bullets coached by Zimbabwean and former Warriors and Dynamos gaffer Kalisto Pasuwa lost 1-0 to DRC giants TP Mazembe at their own backyard in Bingu stadium while Ghana giants Medeama FC who were recently joined by Zimbabwe international sensation Kuda Mahachi dispatched Guinean side Horoya FC 3-1 at the Cape Coast stadium.
CAF Champions League Second Round 1st Leg – Results
Saturday
Al-Merrikh 0 🇸🇩 – 🇹🇿 2 Young Africans
Power Dynamos 🇿🇲 2-2 🇹🇿 Simba
Etoile Sahel 🇹🇳 1-0 🇲🇦 ASFAR
AS Real Bamako🇲🇱0- 3🇲🇷 FC Nouadhibou
Sunday
🇧🇼 Jwaneng 1-0 🇿🇦 Pirates
🇷🇼 APR 0-0 🇪🇬 Pyramids
🇲🇼 Big Bullets 0-1 🇨🇩 Mazembe
🇲🇿 UD Songo 1-2 🇦🇴 Petro
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