Ouaddou Confident Ahead Of Champions League Clash Against Lioli
Orlando Pirates coach Abdeslam Ouaddou is confident that his team will put up a strong performance in the CAF Champions League first preliminary round second leg against Lesotho giants Lioli at Orlando Stadium on Saturday.
The Buccaneers are going into this game with big motivation after winning the first leg 3-0 at Toyota Stadium last weekend.
Ouaddou believes that his team is well-prepared for the game and doesn’t need to see his players more because he knows them well after two to three months of preparation.
“I don’t need to see my players more because I know them, I had two months, three months with them, especially the preparation level of preparing them,” he said.
“What I can tell you is that in this game against Lioli, we’ll put a very competitive team because it’s a very, very important game for me, players, and the club.”
A victory for the Buccaneers will send them to the second preliminary round, where a win from there will secure their place in the group stages.
The Moroccan mentor is optimistic about his team’s progress, saying that they have started to be consistent in their performance.
“One thing I’m sure about is that we start to be consistent in the area of the truth,” he added.
“We can see a strong Pirates when we defend, more connections with the players, and more strength. They try to recognise the triggers; they know how, when, and where we want to recover a ball when we lose it, which is very important.
“But things all start to be well in the attacking dimension, and I once said that a coach needs time for the players to understand exactly what he needs from them.”
Ouaddou expressed satisfaction with his team’s progress but emphasized that it’s not finished yet.
“I’m happy, but it’s not finished because I cannot say that everything is perfect,” he said.
“We still have a lot of work to do, even though we’re doing well, because I’m still not 100% convinced, as we still have a lot of work to do.”
After this game, the Buccaneers will take a break in the Champions League and Betway Premiership as they are set to face Siwelele in the Carling Knockout round of 16 at Orlando Stadium next Saturday.
