“We Will Do It!” – Ouaddou

Orlando Pirates coach Abdeslam Ouaddou remains confident that his side can still win the Betway Premiership title on the final day of the season despite dropping crucial points against Durban City at Orlando Stadium on Saturday afternoon.

The Buccaneers went into the encounter knowing that victory against the Nedbank Cup champions would have crowned them league champions before the final round of fixtures.

However, the disappointing stalemate dealt a major blow to their title ambitions and sent the race into the final game of the campaign.

Despite the setback, Pirates remain second on the table with 66 points from 29 matches, while log leaders Mamelodi Sundowns have already completed their season on 68 points.

The Soweto giants now have one final opportunity to overtake Sundowns, with one game remaining against Orbit College at Mbombela Stadium next weekend.

Should Pirates go on to win the league title, it would complete a historic treble after already lifting the MTN8 and Carling Knockout trophies this season.

It would also make them the first club in Premier Soccer League history to achieve the feat three times, having previously completed trebles during the 2010/11 and 2011/12 campaigns.

Speaking after the match, Ouaddou insisted he is not worried because he always believed the title race would go down to the final day of the season.

“Look, we had the game that we expected because we knew that Durban City would not come here to relax, as they want to finish in the top eight,” said Ouaddou on SuperSport TV.

“I have nothing to say to my boys; they gave their best, and we could have scored on some occasions in both the first and second half. But unfortunately, we didn’t score, and this is football, so we will keep going until the end.

“I said at the beginning and in the middle of the season that the title would be decided on the last day of the season. So, let’s see what happens in the final game. I think it is possible. You can see there’s team spirit in our squad, and I like it.

“I think this team spirit keeps South African football entertaining, and it is good for the PSL. To be honest, I’m not worried, but I am disappointed because we didn’t win and we wanted to get this victory for our fans. Unfortunately, it didn’t happen, but we will try again next week.”

The Moroccan mentor also admitted that the pressure of trying to end the club’s long wait for a league title affected his youthful squad, especially during the second half.

Ouaddou believes the weight of expectation created visible tension among his players.

“We have a very young team, the youngest in the PSL, and they know Pirates haven’t won the league title in 14 years,” he added.

“So, it is normal that it creates some stress in their minds, and that is what you saw, especially in the second half, where they were not at their best.

“But I think we still saw a good Pirates side in the second half, with high technical quality and attacking threats in the final third. Unfortunately, we didn’t win, but I have nothing to say to my boys. I can only tell them to go and win this title on the final day, and we will do it.”

Pirates will now shift all their attention to next weekend’s decisive clash against Orbit College, who are also fighting for survival.

The Mswenko Boys currently occupy 15th place on the table and are desperate to avoid relegation.