Three teams confirmed their places in the second round of qualifying for the 2023-24 CAF Champions League on Thursday and Friday as the second legs of the first round commenced. Orlando Pirates, Rwandan champions APR FC and Bumamuru FC of Burundi all advanced past lesser regarded competition without any issues to take one step closer to the group stage of the competition.
Orlando Pirates struggled quite a bit against Comorian minnows Djabal Club in the first leg with an underwhelming 1-0 victory away from home but the Bucs are through after a routine 3-0 second leg victory on Friday. Zakhele Lepasa continued his goal scoring heroics by following up his first leg match winner with two goals. Patrick Maswangayi scored the other goal on Friday for Pirates setting up a second leg matchup with either Botswana’s Jwaneng Galaxy or Vipers SC of Uganda.
APR FC left their supporters in disappointment and anger after drawing Somalia’s Gaadiidka 1-1 in Kigali but the Rwandan champions progressed with a 2-0 second leg victory in the same venue on Thursday. APR now face a very difficult matchup against Egypt’s Pyramids FC in the second round.
Bumamuru thrashed Centre Sportif Bendje of Gabon by a 5-1 score on Friday to complete a 6-2 aggregate victory, setting up a duel with dominant South African titans Mamelodi Sundowns. Finally, Sudan’s Al-Merrikh progressed with a 0-0 draw over Republic of Congo champions AS Otohô despite having to play their home leg in Rwanda. A 1-1 draw in the first leg played in Congo meant that the Sudanese club advanced on the away goal rule.
Highlights from the second leg victories for Orlando Pirates and APR FC are below following the scores.
Scores
Gaadiidka (Somalia) 0-2 APR FC (Rwanda)
APR FC advance 3-1 on aggregate
Bumamuru FC (Burundi) 5-1 CS Bendje (Gabon)
Bumamuru FC advance 6-2 on aggregate
Al-Merrikh (Sudan) 0-0 AS Otohô (Congo)
Tied 1-1 on aggregate; Al-Merrikh advance on away goals
Orlando Pirates (S. Africa) 3-0 Djabal Club (Comoros)
Orlando Pirates advance 4-0 on aggregate
Highlights
Orlando Pirates 3-0 Djabal Club
Gaadiidka 0-2 APR FC
