MTN8: Ouaddou remains upbeat despite draw, looks ahead to second leg
Orlando Pirates head coach Abdeslam Ouaddou remained upbeat despite his side being held to a 1-1 draw by Mamelodi Sundowns in the first leg of their MTN8 semi-final at Orlando Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
The Buccaneers produced a spirited display in front of their home supporters, showing glimpses of the attacking intent Ouaddou has been trying to instill since his arrival. But once again, they were left frustrated as dominance in spells did not translate into a winning result.
“The content today was interesting, we showed some character, some strengths as well from our boys,” Ouaddou told the media after the match. The coach pointed to the team’s attacking ambition as a positive sign of progress, even if the end product was not enough to secure an advantage going into the second leg.
“We showed this aim to play forward and to create chances, but in football sometimes it’s not easy because the result has to match the performance. At the moment, the results are not matching the performance of the boys,” he admitted.
Ouaddou has been consistent in asking for patience as he continues to shape the team in his vision. With Pirates facing the challenge of balancing strong displays with clinical finishing, he urged supporters to stick with the project.
“Let’s hope that in the future we will take results and everything will be aligned, and I just want our fans to be patient. I know it’s not the work in a big club like that, but I hope they will be patient with us,” he concluded.
The second leg against Sundowns promises to be a high-stakes affair, with both sides chasing a place in the MTN8 final. For Ouaddou, the task now is to turn promising performances into results — something that could define his early tenure at the Soweto giants.
