Orlando Pirates Players Shine in 2025 AFCON Qualifiers

The Orlando Pirates contingent involved in the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) Qualifiers returned to camp this week after experiencing mixed results while representing their national teams.

Representatives from Namibia, Nigeria, and South Africa participated in initial matches that are vital for advancing to the continental tournament scheduled to take place in Morocco next year. A total of seven players from the Orlando Pirates were actively engaged during the recent international fixtures.

Defender Olisa Ndah had a significant moment as he marked his return to the Nigerian national team after over two years. He made his appearance in a 3-0 victory against Benin, where he played for 27 minutes after coming on as a substitute. Although he remained on the bench for the subsequent match against Rwanda, Nigeria secured four points from the two games, placing them at the top of Group D, one point ahead of Benin.

Namibia’s Deon Hotto faced disappointment as his team endured two narrow defeats against Cameroon and Kenya. Hotto played the full match in a 1-0 loss to Cameroon and managed to score a consolation goal in a 2-1 defeat against Kenya. These setbacks position Namibia at the lowest point in Group J, highlighting a challenging road ahead in the qualification process.

South Africa’s Thalente Mbatha emerged as a pivotal player in the qualification campaign, scoring late goals in both matches against Uganda and South Sudan. His late equalizer against Uganda secured a point, and his winning goal in South Sudan led to a 3-2 victory. Mbatha, making his debut, played alongside fellow Buccaneers teammate Relebohile Mofokeng, who also received game time in both fixtures. Additionally, goalkeeper Sipho Chaine debuted in the match against South Sudan. Meanwhile, Nkosinathi Sibisi and Patrick Maswanganyi were included in the squad but did not see any match action.

Currently, South Africa stands second in Group K, sharing four points with Uganda, yet trailing on goal difference.