FC Saint Eloi Lupopo head coach Guy Bukasa was brimming with pride after guiding his Democratic Republic of Congo side to the CAF Champions League group stage by eliminating South African giants Orlando Pirates in a dramatic penalty shootout.
The Agonizing Comeback
Lupopo had stormed to a comfortable 3-0 lead in the first leg played at home. That being said, the second leg at Orlando Stadium saw the Buccaneers mount a spectacular, almost impossible, comeback.
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The Soweto giants clawed their way back into the tie with goals from Masindi Nemtajela, Yanela Mbuthuma, and Oswin Appollis, levelling the aggregate score at 3-3 and forcing a sudden-death penalty shootout.
The dramatic turn of events ended in agony for Pirates when Mbuthuma, one of the comeback goal scorers, missed the decisive spot-kick, allowing Lupopo to triumph.
Bukasa Praises Pirates
Speaking to iDiski Times after the tense encounter, a delighted Bukasa was quick to praise his vanquished opponents, acknowledging the immense pressure his team endured over the 180 minutes.
“Honestly, we feel proud. But I think we learnt too much from these two games against Orlando, because they are a very well organised team—off and on the pitch,” Bukasa stated.
He further elaborated on the quality of the Pirates squad: “They have very talented players. When they have the ball, it’s just amazing. When you are an opponent you appreciate what they are doing.”
Bukasa admitted that his team suffered greatly, particularly in the second leg, which informed his defensive tactics. “It was difficult for us, between all 180 minutes, we suffered too much. But we knew that we will suffer.”
He confirmed the strategy was to sit deep and absorb pressure: “The reason why we tried to stay low [block] to avoid to concede more goals. Because if we made the mistake to press them, then we could’ve conceded four goals today.”
While celebrating his team’s hard-fought qualification, he offered respect to the opposition. “I must say congratulations to Orlando because they deserve also to continue, but we fight, we came here to get qualification. For us we learnt too much from them and we continue to work and improve our level for the group stages.”
The Architect of the Upset
Bukasa’s achievements throughout the qualifiers cement his status as a coaching mastermind. His tactical vision and fearless leadership were fundamental in steering the DRC outfit past two significant continental hurdles.
Having already eliminated Al Merriekh in the previous round, masterminding the downfall of a continental giant like Orlando Pirates is the clearest definition of his success.