WATCH: Six of the best as Orlando Pirates cane CAF Confederation Cup upstarts Leopards

Cape Town - Orlando Pirates scored a 6-2 come-from-behind win over Royal Leopards in a CAF Confederation Cup Group B match at the Mbombela Stadium on Sunday evening after leading 3-2 at halftime.

After trailing 2-0 in the opening seven minutes, Pirates' fightback produced six unanswered goals to consolidate their position at the top of the Group B standings after three matches. Leopards, Confederation Cup debutants, are rock-bottom and pointless, two matches later.

Leopards, the Confederation Cup upstarts, shocked all and sundry six weeks ago when they eliminated two-time Champions League title-holders Algeria's JS Kabylie in the qualifying round.

The Eswatini police team, executing a rather direct playing pattern, exerted a high press straight from the kick-off, and Pirates were rudely surprised. Such was Leopards' early pressure that after only seven minutes of play, they were leading 2-0.

Earlier, Pirates’ defence looked decidedly vulnerable after conceding two corners in the opening four minutes. The threat became real when Pirates failed to clear the second corner, and the ball fell obligingly for defender Mzwandile Mabelesa who was up in the striking zone for the set-piece.

His parting shot deflected off Pirates defender Happy Jele and ricochetted past helpless goalkeeper Siyabonga Mpontshane (1-0).

Two minutes later, Mpontshane again retrieved the ball from the back of the net, as Pirates were stunned by a second goal. This time Thabiso Mokenkoane, former Pretoria University striker, rose above the Pirates central defence to score with a header after connecting with a Mancoba Maseko cross into the opposition goalmouth (2-0).

☠️ FT || Royal Leopards 2 - 6 @orlandopirates