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Orlando Pirates and Durban City are the only South African representatives remaining in CAF’s continental competitions after Kaizer Chiefs and Mamelodi Sundowns were eliminated from their respective tournaments on Friday.

Kaizer Chiefs were the first to bow out, suffering a 3-2 defeat on penalties to Zambian side Red Arrows in the CAF Confederation Cup. Amakhosi won the second leg 1-0 after 90 minutes, levelling the aggregate score at 1-1 following their 1-0 defeat in the first leg the previous weekend.

The Phefeni Glamour Boys needed to overturn the first-leg deficit to keep their hopes of progressing alive. However, Bradley Cross’s 65th-minute goal was not enough to secure qualification, as Red Arrows held their nerve in the penalty shootout to advance to the group stages.

Meanwhile, Mamelodi Sundowns suffered a shock exit from the CAF Champions League and will miss the group stages for the first time in 12 years.

The Brazilians were eliminated by Angolan side Wiliete SC after the two teams played to a 1-1 draw in the second leg.

Sundowns had entered the match following a goalless draw in the first leg, but Wiliete’s late second-half goal proved decisive, leaving coach Miguel Cardoso and his team unable to overturn the tie.

Sundowns’ elimination means they will not defend their continental title, while Wiliete advance to the next stage of the competition.

Orlando Pirates, however, produced a dominant performance at Orlando Stadium, beating their opponents 4-0 in the second leg to progress with a convincing 5-0 aggregate victory.

The Buccaneers scored twice in each half to secure their place in the CAF Champions League group stages, giving coach Abdeslam Ouaddou plenty to celebrate. Pirates also made effective use of their squad, with Mpho Padime scoring his first senior goal in the club’s colours.

Durban City continued where they left off last Sunday, beating Mauritian side Port St Louis 3-0 in the second leg to secure a 6-1 aggregate victory. The KwaZulu-Natal side had won the first leg 3-1 in Durban and completed the job with another convincing performance to book their place in the CAF Confederation Cup group stages.

Sundowns’ elimination marks the first time since TP Mazembe in 2016 that the defending CAF Champions League holders have failed to reach the group stages.

Pirates, meanwhile, have qualified for the CAF Champions League group stages for the sixth time in their history, having previously reached this stage in 1997, 2006, 2013, 2018/19 and 2024/25.

With Chiefs and Sundowns out of the running, Pirates and Durban City will now carry South Africa’s hopes in the CAF Champions League and CAF Confederation Cup, respectively.

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