“Happy To Go To The Semi-Final, But Not Like That”: Ouaddou
Orlando Pirates coach Abdeslam Ouaddou felt the scoreline could have been far higher in his team’s favor following their 1–0 win over Sekhukhune United, which secured their spot in the Carling Knockout semi-finals at the Orlando Amstel Arena on Saturday.
The Buccaneers were required to dig deep to defeat Sekhukhune as they continue their bid to retain the trophy they won last season.
It was a tough grind for the Soweto giants, who recorded their fourth victory over Sekhukhune across all competitions this season—scoring seven goals in the process without conceding a single one.
Pirates entered the match in formidable cup form, having already swept Sekhukhune 4–0 on aggregate in the two-legged MTN8 semi-finals before claiming a 2–0 victory in their Betway Premiership encounter in Soweto.
Despite securing a 1–0 win in Soweto last season, Sekhukhune have failed to score against Pirates in their last four meetings.
“The target was to go through to the next round,” Ouaddou told SuperSport TV after the match.
“You know when you are playing against the same team four times in a row, they are not going to come here and hand it to you; we saw that they were ready.
“They were aggressive and compact, making it difficult to find space. But we managed to score in the first half, which was our target, and that forced them to give us some space.
“Honestly, I think the game could have finished with three or four more goals in our favor, but well done to the boys.
“We are through to the semi-finals, but we have to work harder to control matches because everything was far from perfect. I’m happy to reach the semi-finals, but not in this manner. We have to improve.”
By advancing to the last four, Pirates join Mamelodi Sundowns in the semi-finals. The remaining quarter-final ties take place on Sunday, with Stellenbosch hosting AmaZulu and Kaizer Chiefs welcoming Siwelele, followed immediately by the official semi-final draw.
