Orlando Pirates cruised to a 3-1 win over La Cure Waves of Mauritius at the Orlando Amstel Arena on Saturday afternoon.
The Buccaneers progressed to the second preliminary round of the CAF Champions League with a 3-1 aggregate victory after the first leg ended goalless in Mauritius.
Despite securing the win, however, the Sea Robbers were far from convincing in front of their home supporters.
Pirates were stunned when La Cure Waves took the lead inside the opening 10 minutes, but the hosts quickly responded through Kabelo Kgositsile.
Kaogelo Sebelebele then completed the turnaround to make it 2-1 before Yanela Mbuthuma headed Pirates’ third later in the first half.
Although Pirates created several opportunities throughout the match, their performance was far from perfect, particularly in front of goal.
Here is what we learned from Orlando Pirates’ win
Poor finishing remains a problem
Pirates registered 20 shots at goal but had just three goals to show for their efforts.
The Buccaneers created enough opportunities to score more, but poor decision-making in the final third and wasteful finishing prevented them from putting the game beyond doubt earlier.
Mbuthuma got on the scoresheet but could have easily added to his tally after missing several good opportunities.
Against stronger opposition in the next round, Pirates may not be afforded as many chances, meaning their finishing will have to improve.
Sebelebele needs cover
Sebelebele impressed with his attacking contribution and capped his performance with a goal, but his importance to this Pirates squad also highlights a potential problem.
The 21-year-old is currently the club’s only recognised right-back following Deano van Rooyen’s move to Mamelodi Sundowns.
That leaves Mike Makhanya with plenty of responsibility, particularly with Pirates set to compete on multiple fronts this season.
Sebelebele cannot be expected to play every match, and the lack of natural cover at right-back could become an issue as the campaign progresses.
Poor decision-making remains an issue
With the majority of the squad still new, Pirates are understandably still working on developing combinations and understanding between players.
There were several promising moments, but the Buccaneers often struggled to make the right decision in the final third.
Players sometimes held onto the ball for too long, while others rushed their passes when a more patient approach could have created better opportunities.
That lack of cohesion is something that should improve with more game time, but Pirates will need to develop those combinations quickly with the Champions League campaign now moving into a more demanding stage.
There is still plenty of work to do
A 3-1 victory and progression in the Champions League will ultimately be welcomed, but this was not a performance that will have completely satisfied Abdeslam Ouaddou.
Orlando Pirates showed enough quality to get the job done, but they also exposed areas that need improvement.
The next round will provide a much tougher test, and the Buccaneers will need to be more clinical, more cohesive and more disciplined if they are to make a serious push for continental.