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It was a case of mixed fortunes for South Africa's biggest clubs Orlando Pirates and Mamelodi Sundowns in the CAF Champions League.
Orlando Pirates delivered a commanding performance in the CAF Champions League, thrashing Stade d’Abidjan 3-0 at Orlando Stadium on Saturday night.
This victory propelled the Buccaneers to the top of their group and on the brink of booking a spot in the elusive knockout stages.
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From the outset, the Pirates showed their attacking intent, dominating possession and pressing high against their opponents.
The breakthrough came in the 22nd minute when Relebohile Mofokeng opened the scoring with a simple tap-in following a well-executed passing sequence.
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Despite creating several chances in the first half, including opportunities for Tshegofatso Mabasa and Patrick Maswanganyi, the Pirates could not extend their lead further before halftime.
The second half saw continued dominance from the Pirates, with Maswanganyi making amends when he doubled the score with an impressive turn and finish inside the box.
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Deon Hotto sealed the victory late in the game, using his pace to evade a defender and slotting home the third goal. This win extended Pirates' unbeaten run to four matches in the competition, with two victories and two draws, positioning them favourably in Group C.
In contrast, their domestic rivals Mamelodi Sundowns faced a disappointing evening in Morocco against Raja Casablanca.
In a tense match that ended 1-0 in favour of Raja, Sundowns finished with nine men after receiving two red cards.
Raja also had a player sent off but managed to secure all three points, narrowing the gap between themselves and Sundowns to just one point in the standings.
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With only two matches remaining in the group stage, Sundowns will need to regroup quickly to maintain their position if they want to remain in the competition beyond the group stages.
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