Orlando Pirates coach Josef Zinnbauer hoping to make CAF Confederation Cup history

Orlando Pirates coach Josef Zinnbauer will on Tuesday, December 22 begin a CAF Confederation Cup campaign he hopes will end with him becoming the first German to lift the trophy.  

NO GERMAN COACH HAS WON THE CAF TOURNAMENT

Spanish and Swiss coaches have each won the African equivalent of the Europa League twice and French and Dutch coaches once, with Africans masterminding the other 11 triumphs. 

Pirates are away to Sagrada Esperanca of Angola in a last 32 first leg and Zinnbauer says he has footage of opponents “who will not be pushovers”.  

Pirates are long overdue CAF glory, having won the African Cup of Champions Clubs (now CAF Champions League) in 1995 and the CAF Super Cup one year later.

They came close twice since, losing to Al Ahly of Egypt in the 2013 Champions League final and to Etoile Sahel of Tunisia in the Confederation Cup final two seasons later.

JOSEF ZINNBAUER CAN CHOOSE FROM STRONG SQUAD

Zinnbauer can choose from a strong squad, skippered by national team centre-back Thulani Hlatshwayo and including Ghana goalkeeper Richard Ofori, Namibia winger Deon Hotto and Malawi forward Frank Mhango.

The 1st leg, 1st round match will take place at the Estadio dos Coqueiros in Luanda with kick-off scheduled for 16:00 SA time.

The return 2nd leg is at this stage set for Wednesday, January 6, but the venue and kick-off time is yet to be confirmed.

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