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Six-star Pirates come from two down to thrash sorry Leopards

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Orlando Pirates players celebrate their goal
  • Pirates found themselves 2-0 down after just seven minutes
  • Leopards have lost both their group matches
  • TP Mazembe struggle but remain top of Group C

Orlando Pirates mounted a commendable comeback, coming from two goals down to thrash eSwatini debutants Royal Leopards 6-2 and storm to the top of Group B in the CAF Confederation Cup.

The Bucaneers found themselves with a two-goal deficit after seven minutes of the game, but engineered a bounce back and were 3-2 up at halftime before completing the comeback with three more well worked goals in the second half.

The victory was Pirates’ second in the group and it takes them to six points, two ahead of second placed JS Saoura who earlier on drew 1-1 with Al Ittihad of Libya in Benghazi.

The South African giants were stunned going 2-0 down after just seven minutes. Mzwandile Mabelesa gave Leopards the lead after five minutes with a shot from inside the box that ricocheted off a forest of bodies in the box before going in.

Two minutes later, Thabiso Mokenkoane made it 2-0 for the home side when he scored a looping header from a Maseko Mancoba cross.

Pirates were stunned, but kept their composure. They halved the deficit in the 20th minute when Machawe Dlamini scored into his own net as he tried to cut out a cross from the left.

The visitors grew in confidence and in the 38th minute, they were level after Bandile Shandu calmly controlled a beautiful pass from Dean Hotto before slotting home.

They went to the break 3-2 up when Hotto played provider again, this time floating an inviting cross that was headed home by Kwame Peprah unmarked inside the box.

In the second half, they did not relent on their pressure and in the 57th minute they were 4-2 up when Happy Jele got on the scoresheet with an angled header inside the box.

Three minutes later, they scored the fifth goal, this time Kabelo Dlamini calmly controlling Thembinkosi Lorch’s pass before shooting low into the bottom right.

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Action between Orlando Pirates and Royal Leopards

Pirates completed the rout in the 80th minute, substitute Terrence Dzvukamanja picking Peprah’s through ball before calmly slotting it past the keeper.

Meanwhile, Libya’s Al Ittihad and JS Saoura of Algeria played out to a 1-1 draw in the other group match.

The result in Benghazi sees both sides move to four points, though Saoura has played three matches, drawing one, losing one and winning one while Ittihad were playing their second group stage match. They started off their campaign last weekend with a 3-2 home win against Orlando Pirates.

Ittihad opened the scoring in the 22nd minute through Mohamed Zubya after surviving a host of scares.

But Saoura wouldn’t wait for long before they drew back level, Mohamed Ouis finding the back of the net on the half hour mark off a Lahmeri assist.

Elsewhere in Group C, Congolese giants TP Mazembe kept their hunt for the CAF Confederation Cup title alive after beating Cameroon’s Cotonsport 1-0 in Lubumbashi to move top of the pile.

Glody Likonza scored the lone goal of the match late on with four minutes of regulation time to play as Mazembe soared to six points after two wins and a loss.

They bounced back to winning ways after suffering defeat away to Egyptian side Al Masry in their last match last weekend.

AS Otoho d’Oyo of Congo Brazzaville moved to second after edging out Egypt’s Masry 2-0 in Brazzaville.

The home side had a huge chunk of the chances in either half and were more determined to walk away with the three points. They had an early chance but Moise saw his freekick beautifully tipped over for a corner by Masry keeper Ahmed Massoud.

Mamadou Cisse also had a chance but his header after being set up by Souleymane Sakande came off the side netting.

In the second half, the home side kept their chase and Bidimbou had a superb opportunity to break the deadlock when a cross from the right found him unmarked inside the box, but his effort was wide.

Otoho kept their offensive shape and they were rewarded in the 87th minute when Okouri slid in a diving header beyond the keeper, rushing to meet a cross from Faria Ondongo.

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