The 31-year-old made his remarks following the draw that placed Pirates in Group C with RS Berkane from Morocco, Simba SC from Tanzania, and Colombe Sportive from Cameroon.

This season, Pirates are the sole representatives from South Africa in the Champions League after reigning African champions Mamelodi Sundowns were eliminated.

The Buccaneers will be returning to the group stages after missing the competition last year. Their last run in the tournament saw them reach the semi-finals during the 2024/25 season under then-coach Jose Riveiro. However, last season, they were knocked out in the second preliminary round under the current coach, Abdeslam Ouaddou.

Sibisi believes that the Champions League provides an excellent chance for the team to gauge its progress against some of the best teams on the continent.

“The Champions League is a different ball game. It’s on a higher level, and it will be an excellent test to assess our progress as a team,” stated Sibisi, who was heartbroken after the Pirates lost to Pyramids FC in the semi-finals.

“In the last two seasons, we didn’t meet our goals, but we’ve worked on identifying and improving the areas where we fell short.

“We’re eager to participate in the competition and give our players the vital experience they need.”

The group-stage draw also provides Pirates with a chance to face RS Berkane again, the team that beat the Soweto giants in the CAF Confederation Cup final in May 2022.

Their matchup with Simba SC will feature some familiar faces, including former Stellenbosch FC coach Steve Barker, who now leads the Tanzanian side, and South African players Keletso Makgalwa, Neo Maema, and captain Rushine De Reuck, who are part of the Simba team.

Despite missing out on the MTN8, Pirates still have four competitions on their agenda this season: the CAF Champions League, Carling Knockout Cup, Nedbank Cup, and Betway Premiership.

While the disappointment from the MTN8 lingers, Sibisi asserts that the club is still ambitious and is focused on battling for every trophy available.

“I believe we can accomplish a lot,” he continued.

“We aim to compete for everything. Although we fell short in the MTN8, there is much left to pursue.

“We are going for the league, the Nedbank Cup, and the CAF Champions League. Our goal is to strive for it all.”

Pirates will kick off their Champions League group-stage campaign with an away match against Simba SC in Tanzania later in November, followed by a home fixture against RS Berkane on December 4.