La Cure Waves coach believes they can cause Orlando Pirates problems in return leg

The Mauritian side frustrated Pirates in the first leg of the first preliminary round at the Cote d'Or National Sports Complex on Sunday, leaving the tie finely poised ahead of the return leg in South Africa.

Thomas acknowledged the significant difference between the two clubs, with Pirates boasting professional status and extensive continental experience, while La Cure Waves are an amateur side.

Despite that disparity, the coach was pleased with the way his players stuck to their tactical instructions throughout the match.

"We have been working on this strategy because we know that Orlando Pirates are on another level. They are a professional team, while we are an amateur team. To start with, we found a way to battle during the match. We followed the instructions for the full 90 minutes, and we are satisfied with that," Thomas told Mauritius Football Association's media.

"In today's (Sunday) match, we knew it was going to be difficult. But as we said in front of the public here in Mauritius, many people predicted that we would concede three, four, five, eight goals; I don't know how many. But we showed that La Cure Waves have character. Now, we have to take today's match extremely seriously. But deep down, we have shown that we can do it. We have made progress."

The result gives La Cure Waves genuine belief heading into the second encounter, particularly after they successfully kept the Buccaneers at bay for 90 minutes.

Thomas knows the challenge will be even greater on South African soil, but the first-leg display has given his players confidence that they can compete with one of the continent's established clubs.

The two sides will meet again at the Orlando Amstel Arena on Saturday, with La Cure Waves needing another disciplined performance to keep their hopes of progressing to the next round alive.

Meanwhile, the Buccaneers will be determined to avoid a repeat of last season's disappointment, when they were knocked out at this very same stage of the competition.