Moeneeb Josephs talks about his experience in Lubumbashi! | OneFootball

Moeneeb Josephs talks about his experience in the Congo.

Moeneeb Josephs

A crushing 3-0 defeat for Orlando Pirates in the CAF Champions League preliminary round has highlighted the extreme challenges of playing in Lubumbashi. According to former Buccaneers goalkeeper Moeneeb Josephs, the intimidating atmosphere in the Democratic Republic of Congo can overwhelm visiting teams.

Josephs, speaking from his own past experiences on the Soccer Beat podcast, suggested that the current squad may have been unprepared for the hostile reception. He recalled a previous trip to face TP Mazembe with AmaZulu, alongside Benni McCarthy, which was marked by intense physical confrontations.

“I’m sure Pirates got bullied,” Josephs stated, drawing a parallel to his own ordeal. “Me and Benni McCarthy went there with AmaZulu to face TP Mazembe. We were fighting with them in the tunnel, and while the game was on.”

He believes this aggressive approach is a deeply ingrained tactic used by clubs in that region. “That is just how they are, they don’t change that.” The former goalkeeper attributed the staggering loss to a lack of exposure to such high-pressure situations, noting, “I think the boys were shell-shocked a bit. I think that is where the inexperience affected our team a little bit.”

In his view, the outcome was a direct result of this gap in the team's collective experience. “Most of them have not played in that type of environment. That is the experience we lacked,” Josephs concluded. Following this devastating first-leg result, Pirates' chances of advancing in the tournament now appear critically slim.