Abdeslam Ouaddou Highlights Orlando Pirates’ Shortcomings After Sekhukhune United Victory
- Orlando Pirates secured a 1-0 win over Sekhukhune United in the Carling Black Label Knockout quarterfinal on Saturday
- The Soweto giants' head coach, Abdeslam Ouaddou, raised concerns about his side's performance despite the result
- 19-year-old Mpho Padime scored on his first start for Pirates, while Oswin Appollis was again named on the bench
PAY ATTENTION: Mark Briefly News as a preferred source, and our content will appear higher in your Google feed!
Orlando Pirates progressed to the Carling Black Label Knockout semifinals after defeating Sekhukhune United 1-0 at the Orlando Amstel Arena on Saturday, but head coach Abdeslam Ouaddou made clear the result alone was not enough to satisfy him.
The win extended Pirates' dominant run over Sekhukhune to four consecutive victories this season, with the Buccaneers yet to concede a single goal across all four encounters.
Ouaddou Flags Control Problems
Despite the clean sheet and the progression, Ouaddou was vocal in his assessment of his side's shortcomings after Sekhukhune launched a late rally that unsettled the hosts.
PAY ATTENTION: You can now search for all your favourite news and topics on Briefly News.
"The target was to go to the next stage. We knew we were playing a team for the fourth time in a row, and a team who were not coming here to give you the game," Ouaddou told SuperSport TV. "They were very aggressive and compact; it was difficult to find space, but we managed to score in the first half. If we are honest, the game could have finished with three or four more goals."
He acknowledged the supporters but was firm about what still needs to improve. "We have to work on control. We are happy to go to the semifinals, but not like that. We have to have more control; we were panicking for nothing. We had the opportunity to kill the game, but we kicked the ball into the stands; there is still a lot of work to do."
Padime Shines, Appollis Benched Again
The only goal of the match came from 19-year-old Mpho Padime, who opened his account for the club on his first start, converting from a Tshepang Moremi cross that took a fortuitous bounce. Bafana Bafana winger Oswin Appollis was left out of the starting line-up for the second time, entering as a substitute and making an immediate impression upon his introduction.
Ouaddou defended the decision to manage Appollis carefully, drawing a comparison with Luis Enrique's handling of Ashraf Hakimi at Paris Saint-Germain. "We have seen with the numbers the guy risks injury and we don't want to lose him. There is nothing about Appollis. He is one of our best players and we want to protect him for important games," he said.
The coach also pointed to the broader squad management challenge at the club. "People have to understand we are managing a group of 40 players and we have to keep everyone motivated," Ouaddou added, noting the starts for Padime and Sifiso Luthuli as deliberate choices to maintain depth and morale within the squad.
PAY ATTENTION: Stay informed and follow us on Google News!
Source: Briefly News
