CAF Champions League: Abdeslam Ouaddou Reacts to Orlando Pirates’ Win Over Lioli FC
- Abdeslam Ouaddou has reacted to Orlando Pirates' victory over Lioli FC in the CAF Champions League preliminary round
- The Moroccan tactician guided his side to a resounding 7-0 win on aggregate against the Lesotho side
- The former Marumo Gallants head coach's thoughts sparked different reactions from fans on social media
Orlando Pirates head coach Abdeslam Ouaddou has commented on his team's dominant display during their victory over Lioli FC in the preliminary round of the CAF Champions League.
Source: Instagram
The Soweto giants won the first leg of the tie 3-0 last weekend, and they defeated the Lesotho side 4-0 in the second leg at the Orlando Stadium on Saturday, September 27, 2025.
The win secures a place for the Premier Soccer League side in the next round of the Champions League as they hope to replicate last season's performance in the competition.
They had a good outing in the competition, beating the likes of Al Ahly, but they stumbled in the semi-finals against the eventual winners, Pyramids FC.
Ouaddou reacts to Pirates' win over Lioli
Ouaddou expressed his satisfaction with the result, emphasising that the team achieved exactly what they had set out to do, replicating their strong first-leg performance.
Speaking to the media after the match, he praised his players for showing character, composure, and a relentless drive to play attractive football and keep scoring until the final whistle.
The former Moroccan international opened up that his message to the Bucs players at half-time was simple: stay calm and trust the game plan.
“I wasn’t worried at all. I told the players to remain focused and continue finding each other between the lines,” he explained.
Source: Instagram
He added that the focus now shifts to their upcoming league fixtures as they look to maintain their recent momentum after starting the season badly.
Fans react to Ouaddou's comments
Gabriel Rimai said:
"Pitso once said a coach isn't rated by winning 4 game trophies but league when last did Big clubs see the league only penalty winning trophies."
Goddard Ngobeni wrote:
"President Trump said it very clearly that "Lesotho 🇱🇸 is a country that nobody knows about." Therefore, beating fisher man 4r Lesotho 🇱🇸without home ground advantage and celebrating is a disgrace. The Chairman's team fc didn't travel and they enjoyed home advantage for 2 legs."
Mthombeni wa Tshungu shared:
"I heard Lioli coach pre-match interview saying he want to score goals so everyone will be happy and I instantly felt pain for him."
GRimai38442 added:
"Durban City compared to these so called big teams they are punching above their weight looking at resources they have Big ups to Hunt same coach was released by a failing team big team needed penalties sad to PSL leadership."
Ouaddou explains Mofokeng's new role
Briefly News also reported that Ouaddou opened up Relebohile Mofokeng's new role since he arrived at Orlando Pirates from Marumo Gallants.
The Moroccan coach shed light on why the Bafana Bafana star has shifted into a more central attacking position this season despite playing as a winger last campaign.
Proofreading by Kelly Lippke, copy editor at Briefly.co.za.
Source: Briefly News
