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Tinkler would have preferred giants to Kaloum

You would expect Orlando Pirates caretaker coach Eric Tinkler to have been a relieved man after avoiding the giants of African football in the play-off round of the CAF Confederation Cup. But he was not.

Tinkler would have loved to come up against either Al Ahly or Raja Casablanca instead of Guinea's AS Kaloum, the club Bucs are set to face in the final knockout round before the Confederation Cup group stages.

Kaloum, who were knocked out of the Champions League by Algeria's USM Alger before dropping into the Confederation Cup along with seven other clubs, including Al Ahly, will host the first-leg tie.

The draw was conducted yesterday in Cairo.

Kaloum played all their Champions League home matches in Bamako, Mali, due to the ebola outbreak in Guinea. Tinkler is already working on getting information on their opponents.

"We don't know anything about them. But I have already spoken to an analyst to get what we can," Tinkler said.

"I would have preferred if we got one of the giants. We could have drawn Al Ahly or Raja Casablanca or one of the Tunisian clubs. We know them very well."

He added: "It looks like we are going to play the game against Kaloum in Bamako. I have been there before. "It's also an away game for them at the end of the day because they have to host it in another country. We need to try and get an away goal."

Kaloum beat Sewe Sport and Zesco United in the Champions League but fell to USM Alger.

The Confed Cup matches will be played from May 15-17.

Pirates, meanwhile, face Maritzburg United in the Absa Premiership at Harry Gwala Stadium today (7.30pm), looking to keep their hopes of a second place finish alive.

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