Ouaddou Demands Ruthlessness After Pirates Edge Magesi
Orlando Pirates coach Abdelsam Ouaddou says his side must become more clinical if they are to go far, after being denied several times by the brilliance of goalkeeper Elvis Chipezeze and the woodwork in their 2-1 victory over Magesi FC in the Carling Knockout quarter-finals at Orlando Stadium on Tuesday.
Despite dominating proceedings, Pirates had to rely on stunning goals from Tshepang Moremi and Evidence Makgopa in the second half to secure their place in the semi-finals.
Pirates became the third side to book their place in the last four, following KwaZulu-Natal outfits Richards Bay and Golden Arrows. The final quarter-final fixture will see Marumo Gallants host defending champions Stellenbosch FC on Wednesday.
The victory was a welcome redemption for the Buccaneers, who came into the match reeling from their CAF Champions League exit at the hands of St Eloi Lupopo in the second preliminary round on penalties at the same venue just three days earlier.
“I think it’s a game that, at half-time, we should have been leading by three or four goals,” Ouaddou told SuperSport after the match.
“I’m being nice by saying that. Unfortunately, ruthlessness is something we have to improve quickly if we want to be ambitious.
“Other than that, I want to congratulate the boys because it wasn’t easy. It’s always difficult against these kinds of teams — they fight hard and have great spirit.
“We played some good football as well, and I think our fans were happy about that. But if we want to be more ambitious, I must say I wasn’t very happy with the last 15 minutes.
“Instead of going forward to score a third goal, we played too many short passes. I know the fans enjoy that, and the players too, but personally, I don’t like it.
“We need to score more goals and be clinical. Scoring goals is very important for confidence.”
Looking for inspiration ahead of the match, Pirates unveiled a new limited-edition third kit — worn for the first time against John Maduka’s side, who had knocked them out in the first round of the same competition last season.
Magesi went on to win the Carling Knockout in 2024/25 after defeating Pirates 3-2, having scored three first-half goals before holding off a late comeback.
This time, however, the Soweto giants had other ideas as they continued their quest for a first League Cup triumph since the 2011/12 season.
