Abdeslam Ouaddou Explains Why He Benched Oswin Appollis in MTN8 Final Loss Against Mamelodi Sundowns
- Orlando Pirates coach Abdeslam Ouaddou defended his decision to bench PSL Midfielder of the Season Oswin Appollis in the MTN8 final against Mamelodi Sundowns
- Pirates lost 2–0 at a sold-out Moses Mabhida Stadium, ending a four-year winning streak in the competition
- Ouaddou revealed the tactical reasoning behind keeping Appollis in reserve, drawing on a strategy that worked in last season's final
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Orlando Pirates head coach Abdeslam Ouaddou has broken his silence on the decision to leave Oswin Appollis out of the starting lineup for Saturday's MTN8 final, a match the Buccaneers lost 2–0 to Mamelodi Sundowns at a packed Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban.
The defeat ended Pirates' four-year hold on the competition. Teboho Mokoena put Sundowns ahead before half-time, and Iqraam Rayners converted a penalty to seal the result and hand the Brazilians the cup.
**Ouaddou's Tactical Gamble With Appollis**
The absence of Appollis from the first eleven raised immediate questions, given his status as PSL Midfielder of the Season and a key figure in Bafana Bafana's setup. Ouaddou, however, insisted the call was part of a deliberate match plan.
"He's one of the best players in the country, and our team as well," Ouaddou said. "But when you are playing a cup final, you have a strategy. You can play in different phases. You have to think and anticipate what can happen in the second half."
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Appollis entered the pitch at the interval as a replacement for the injured Kamogelo Sebelebele. By that point, Sundowns had control of the match and further tightened their grip with the introduction of Thabo Cele in midfield, limiting the impact Appollis was able to have.
**Repeating a Formula That Worked Before**
Ouaddou pointed to last season's MTN8 final against Stellenbosch at Mbombela Stadium as the blueprint for his thinking. On that occasion, Appollis and Tshepang Moremi came off the bench in extra time to help Pirates lift the trophy.
"We planned to bring him on quickly in the second half. We did it last year (and it worked). You know how I work: I have a starting lineup, and impact players, and today, he was part of the impact players," Ouaddou said.
"He is somebody who can change the match, especially because we conceded first and were chasing the match. Oswin is a fantastic, and important player for us. But today, we decided that he must have an impact, so that he can change the match."
On this occasion, the strategy did not produce the desired result.
**Pirates Shift Focus to Carling Knockout Cup**
With the MTN8 title now in Sundowns' hands, Pirates have little time to recover. The club must quickly redirect their attention to defending their other silverware, with the Carling Knockout Cup campaign set to begin on Wednesday.
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Source: Briefly News
