African Stars defender: Pirates clash showed where I belong
by Lukhanyo Mtuta · KickOffA South African player who turns out for African Stars says playing against Orlando Pirates in the CAF Champions League gave him a sense of belonging.
African Stars suffered a 1-0 defeat in the first leg of their CAF Champions League second preliminary round clash last week.
The match was played at the Botswana National Stadium, as African Stars' home venue in Namibia does not meet CAF's stadium requirements.
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Starring at centre-back for the Namibian side was Lyema Dopolo, a 22-year-old South African who previously played for SuperSport United.
Dopolo has since admitted that he felt privileged to share the pitch with a star-studded Pirates team ahead of the second-leg on Friday.
"Pirates are at a different level compared to African Stars. Half of the squad is representing their national teams, so that alone says a lot," Dopolo told SAFJA.
"Regarding the attackers, if I’m not mistaken, Pirates’ front three represent the national team. From the team that we played, it was Yanela Mbuthuma, Tshepang Moremi, and Gamphani Lungu.
"They are all national team players, and that on its own says a lot about the level of Orlando Pirates."
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"I can say that they are quite smart and quick. But as I have mentioned, it’s also good for me to test myself against the best.
"It was quite a great feeling to step onto the pitch against Orlando Pirates... an institution in African football. Being up against the country’s best was a great feeling, and I cannot lie about that.
"After that game, I felt like that’s where I belong — on this kind of stage in the CAF Champions League, sharing the pitch with national team players. I take a lot of positives from that game."
By Lukhanyo Mtuta
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