South African striker Khanyisa Mayo and his CR Belouizdad counterparts have sent a stern warning to Orlando Pirates ahead of their crucial CAF Champions League clash at Orlando Stadium on Sunday afternoon (15:00).

Jose Riveiro’s charges emerged as 2-1 victors against the Algerian giants in their opening Group C outing in Algiers last year November. The two sides are now set to battle for supremacy once again with important maximum points at stake.

The Chababists head into this encounter on the back of their stunning 1-0 upset of record and reigning African champions Al Ahly and Abdelkader Amrani say the victory catalyzed their quest for a knockout stage berth.

“We know that the game [against Pirates] is going to be played in small details and especially the mental aspect of it. So, talking about the last game [vs Al Ahly], it was a very important game for us to win to remain in the race [for a spot in the quarterfinals],” said Belouizdad’s mentor.

“The game against Al Ahly was not about redeeming ourselves, and as I said before it’s going to be about how we approach the game as we did against Al Ahly with a great mindset. So, we are going to see again how to do it, we believe that Orlando Pirates is a great club and it’s going to be very difficult for everyone.”

The 69-year-old Algerian-born tactician insists that they are determined to progress to the next phase of the competition despite the Buccaneers’ slight psychological and home-ground advantage in this return leg.

“We will see at the end of the game, but we don’t want to regret it at the end of the game. We know that there’s still everything to play for and for us, it’s [about] how we approach the game, we don’t want to start the game thinking we won’t qualify, we want to go through,” Amrani added.

“The win against Al Ahly has given us more zeal but Pirates is a very good team as I said in the beginning. They know how to protect the ball and play well in transitions. So, we will see, the game against Al Ahly has given us more confidence.

Meanwhile, former Cape Town City star Mayo, who scored against the Sea Robbers in the first leg, is relishing the opportunity to replicate his goal-scoring prowess against the Soweto giants and strengthen his side’s chances of qualifying for the last eight.

“Orlando Pirates is a big club and they have a mission to qualify for the knockout stages in the Champions League, so playing against them was a great feeling because I’ve known the team for the longest of times,” the 26-year-old stated.

“Scoring against them [in Algiers] was a good feeling, I have scored once against Orlando Pirates in Orlando. When the coach allowed me to warm up and put me in, I raised my hand from the first to the last whistle to say that I was capable of doing the job.

Riveiro’s men will return to the top of the standings and secure their ticket to the quarterfinals of Africa’s elite club competition with a win, while Belouizdad will be eager to avoid defeat as it would end their hopes of progression to the next round.