Pirates’ painful exit from CAF

When the final whistle blew at Orlando Stadium, in the CAF Champions League match between Orlando Pirates and Saint-Éloi Lupopo, there was a strange silence that lingered across Soweto. The kind that only football can produce - where pride and heartbreak share the same air. Orlando Pirates had just delivered one of their bravest performances in recent continental memory, overturning a 3-0 deficit against Saint-Éloi Lupopo of the Democratic Republic of Congo to level the tie 3-3 on aggregate. Yet, as the penalty shootout went the wrong way, the Buccaneers' dream of returning to the CAF Champions League group stage – and the financial windfall that comes with it - came crashing down. What had begun as an afternoon of belief ended in bitter reflection, as the Soweto giants bowed out of Africa's premier club competition in the second preliminary round - a result that carried not just sporting disappointment, but a significant financial blow. Soccer Laduma's Masebe Qina takes a look at what happened.

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between early exits and group-stage progression is vast.

"This is a huge blow, not just emotionally, but financially," one club source told Soccer Laduma. "The planning, the squad investment, the preparations - all of it is made with the expectation that Pirates will go far in CAF competitions. To go out now means losing millions, and it affects everything from bonuses to future budgets."

The financial disappointment is amplified by the fact that other South African clubs are cashing in on their continental success.

South Africa's contrasting fortunes

While Pirates lick their wounds, their domestic rivals are thriving in Africa. Mamelodi Sundowns have qualified for the CAF Champions League group stage for the 11th consecutive season. They made US$2 million (around R36 million) as runners-up last year and banked an additional R183 million from their appearance at the FIFA Club World Cup earlier this year.

Kaizer Chiefs and Stellenbosch FC, meanwhile, both secured their spots in the CAF Confederation Cup group stage over the weekend. Each club is guaranteed US$400,000 (approximately R7.3 million) with the potential to earn far more if they advance deep into the competition.

In a season where CAF has reinforced its lucrative prize structure, the difference between continental success and failure has never been clearer. Pirates' early exit doesn't just sting it isolates them financially from their competitors.

'We don't have time to be disappointed'

As painful as the loss was, Ouaddou struck a philosophical tone when asked how he personally ranked the defeat among his lowest moments in football.

"It's a big one," he admitted. "The last one was in 2004, when I was in the final against Tunisia with a fantastic Moroccan team. Sometimes it's the law of football we have to accept it. But we don't have to go down. We have to keep the trust, the confidence, the belief in the players.