Nkosinathi Sibisi confident Orlando Pirates can use Bafana Bafana energy in Lubumbashi

Pirates will meet Lupopo in the second preliminary round, first leg, in Lubumbashi on Sunday.

Sibisi, along with six of his Pirates teammates — Oswin Appollis, Thalente Mbatha, Evidence Makgopa, Sipho Mbule, Sipho Chaine, and Tshepang Moremi —were part of the Bafana Bafana squad in their emphatic 3–0 win over Rwanda at Mbombela Stadium last Tuesday, sealing the national team's World Cup qualification.

"The confidence we've gained from qualifying Bafana for the World Cup will help us a lot in the DRC on Sunday," Sibisi told Sowetan.

"We've returned with boosted morale, and I hope we can use that energy against Lupopo."

While Pirates have already played 14 matches across all competitions this season, the Congolese side have yet to kick off their domestic campaign.

Continental outlet Afrique Sport recently reported that "the footballing landscape in the DRC remains shrouded in uncertainty," with the national league still without a start date.

Sibisi acknowledged that their match fitness and rhythm could give Pirates a slight edge but cautioned against complacency and added that the Buccaneers' focus remains firmly on their own performance.

"The fact that we've played more games might give us a small advantage because we have momentum, but we're not relying on that. If we're not at our best on the day, we can still suffer," he said.

"We know what we have to do — we need a positive result that makes the job easier in the second leg at home."

The Buccaneers will be eager to make sure they get a positive result away from home before hosting the DRC outfit next weekend with the winner of the tie set to advance to the group stages of the continental tournament.