Pirates Target Silverware On All Fronts, Says Ouaddou
Orlando Pirates coach Abdeslam Ouaddou has made it clear that the club is competing in every tournament with the intention of winning, insisting there is “no place to hide” for either himself or his players.
The Buccaneers lifted their third trophy of the season on Saturday after defeating the Carling All Stars in the Carling Cup at Moses Mabhida Stadium.
Although the Carling Cup is classified as a friendly — with the All Stars team selected by fans — Pirates treated the occasion with the seriousness of a competitive final.
Pirates were given a stern test by the fan-selected All Stars side in the first half, but struck decisively in the second half. Sifiso Luthuli opened the scoring in the 68th minute after racing onto a perfectly weighted pass from Deon Hotto.
The second goal was a moment of real quality in the 80th minute. Boitumelo Radiopane burst through midfield, surged forward and calmly slotted the ball into the bottom corner, leaving goalkeeper Naphtali Mokoena stranded as Pirates sealed Carling Cup glory.
The victory added to an already impressive season for the Soweto giants, who had earlier lifted the MTN8 in September and the Carling Knockout Cup at Peter Mokaba Stadium last weekend.
“When you come to work at a big club like Orlando Pirates, the mission is to win every game,” said Ouaddou.
“I cannot be clearer than that. Every match we play, we must try to win it. Every competition we enter, the target is to win.
“Everything that is on the table — the league, the Nedbank Cup, all the competitions — we are playing to win.”
Pirates also head into the Africa Cup of Nations break on top of the Betway Premiership standings with 28 points from 12 matches, two points clear of second-placed defending champions Mamelodi Sundowns, who have played one game more.
“We don’t have to hide. Why hide?” Ouaddou continued. “You have to show your cards and be ready to challenge in all competitions. It won’t be easy, and we must remain humble and continue to work hard — that’s what I always tell my players.
“The moment you stop working, become lazy or stop respecting your body, football will not respect you.
“Our focus now is to rest properly because the players have worked very well, and I’m very proud of them. When they come back, they must return with ambition, because if you fall asleep, there are many fantastic teams in the PSL ready to pass you.”
