Mohau Nkota brace sinks CR Belouizdad as Orlando Pirates enjoy flying start to Caf Champions League group stage campaign

It was a tense affair at 5 July 1962 Stadium at Orlando Pirates collected maximum points on the road with 20-year-old Mohau Nkota stealing the show.

As the two teams were still trying to settle down after just five minutes, Nkota got to the end of a Relebohile Mofokeng feed and sneaked the ball past an onrushing Moustapha Zeghba in goals for CR Belouizdad.

On 27 minutes, Nkota then returned to launch a cracker from outside the box which gave Zeghba no chance and doubled Pirates' lead to silence the vociferous home crowd and again, Mofokeng was the provider.

Stung by the early setback, Belouizdad coach Abdelkader Amrani searched for answers from Bafana Bafana forward Khanyisa Mayo whom he summoned onto the pitch from the bench and came on in the 34th minute.

Mayo then repaid the coach's trust in him by heading in an Abderrahmane Meziane cross on 66 minutes, leaving the home side needing just a goal to level up.

It was the former Cape Town City's first-ever goal for Belouizdad after going for nine official matches without finding the back of the net.

This has to go to Nkota who grabbed a brace and showed character before an intimidating crowd.

Impressively, Nkota was making his debut in the Champions League but he showed up like a seasoned forward.

The result was a huge setback for CR Belouizdad who lost in their own backyard and front of their strongly-backing fans.

The Algerians have now been left pressed to recover in their next match to make sure they do not further slide in Group C.

The Buccaneers will host Stellenbosch in a Premier Soccer League match on December 1 before resuming their Champions League campaign with a home date with Al Ahly six days later.

On the other hand, Belouizdad have two domestic assignments before visiting Stade d'Abidjan on December 7 for their next continental fixture.