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Orlando Pirates captain Nkosinathi Sibisi has warned his teammates that they must raise their performance levels if they hope to compete successfully in the CAF Champions League, insisting that continental football presents a much bigger challenge than domestic competitions.
The Buccaneers are preparing for their return to the group stages after successfully navigating the qualifying rounds. However, their task will become significantly more difficult following a challenging Group C draw that has placed them alongside Simba SC of Tanzania, Morocco's RS Berkane and Cameroonian side Colombe Sportive.
Speaking about the upcoming campaign, Sibisi acknowledged that the Champions League requires a different level of quality, discipline and consistency. The Pirates captain believes the competition will provide an important opportunity for the team to measure its progress against some of Africa's established clubs.
"I think the Champions League is a different ball game. I think it's a level higher and I think it's going to be a good test to see where we are as a team," Sibisi said.
The defender also reflected on Pirates' previous disappointments in continental competitions, revealing that the players have identified their shortcomings and are determined to learn from those experiences.
He explained that the squad has worked on correcting the mistakes that prevented them from achieving their objectives during the previous two seasons.
"So in the past two seasons we fell short, we've been able to try to rectify where we thought we fell short, so for us it's just looking forward to playing the competition and for our boys to get the much-needed experience," he added.
Pirates booked their place in the group stages after overcoming La Cure Waves SC and African Stars FC during the qualifying rounds. Nevertheless, the challenges awaiting them will be considerably tougher.
The Soweto giants will begin their Group C campaign with a difficult away fixture against Simba SC in Dar es Salaam on November 28. The encounter will provide an early assessment of their continental ambitions.
Pirates last lifted the CAF Champions League trophy in 1995 and will be determined to end their long wait for another continental title.
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