Pirates skipper Jele eyes CAFCC glory

Happy Jele of Orlando Pirates

Wednesday Mar 17, 2021. 14:00

Orlando Pirates captain Happy Jele has talked up his side’s chances of winning the CAF Confederation Cup.

The veteran defender was part of a Pirates team which reached the final of the competition in 2015, only to be beaten by Tunisia’s Etoile du Sahel.

The Buccaneers will play host to Nigerian giants Enyimba in one of eight Matchday 2 fixtures set to be played across the continent on Wednesday afternoon and evening, having opened their Group A campaign with a 0-0 draw away to Algeria’s ES Setif last week.

Jele believes the South African club has the quality to go deep into the Confed Cup: “I see a lot of potential in this team because of the way we play‚ and the effort that we put in‚” said Jele, as quoted by Times Live.

“We work for one another on the field and it is possible that we can reach the final again and even get the cup. We have a good squad‚ all we have to do is to go out there and get the desired results as we go along.”

The defender adds that Enyimba will tough opponents, but knows that Pirates must claim points at home to see themselves into the knockout rounds.

“We had a chance to watch some of the Enyimba videos on Sunday and Monday. We know that they are a dangerous team‚ but we have also noted some of their weaknesses that we will be looking to exploit,” Jele noted.

“For us it is just go out there and do what we are supposed to do‚ which is get three points at home. The technical team has prepared us well.

“This competition is important for us because Pirates is a big brand and we need to consistently compete at the highest level on the continent.”

He added, “Last week we earned a valuable draw away to ES Setif of Algeria and obviously the guys are highly motivated. It is very important for us to win at home.”