Ouaddou Laments Lack Of Ruthlessness Despite Pirates’ Nedbank Cup Win Over TTM
Orlando Pirates coach Abdelsam Ouaddou has once again expressed his frustration over his side’s lack of ruthlessness in the final third, despite their convincing 4-1 victory over Tshakhuma Tsha Madzivhandila in the Nedbank Cup round of 32 at Moses Mabhida Stadium on Saturday.
Andre de Jong was among the scorers, netting his first goal for Pirates, as the Buccaneers ensured there was no upset. The win came just days after Pirates climbed to the top of the Betway Premiership table with a midweek triumph over AmaZulu at the same venue.
From the outset, the gulf in class between the two sides was evident.
Pirates also arrived in Durban with a flawless record at Moses Mabhida Stadium this season, having won all four of their previous matches there.
The Buccaneers were awarded a penalty inside the opening 10 minutes when Oswin Appollis was brought down by Sithembiso Ngobe. De Jong stepped up and calmly converted to open his scoring account for the club.
Thalente Mbatha doubled Pirates’ lead when his effort took a wicked deflection off Slindokuhle Mponzo and beat goalkeeper Lebohang Mohale, as Pirates continued to assert their dominance.
TTM briefly threatened a comeback in the 39th minute when Ngobe curled a free-kick over the wall and past Melusi Buthelezi to reduce the deficit.
Pirates restored their two-goal cushion early in the second half as Patrick Maswanganyi made it 3-1 in the 50th minute, combining well with Yanela Mbuthuma before slotting past Mohale. Maswanganyi had replaced De Jong.
With the humidity easing, Pirates sealed the win in the 90th minute when Sipho Mbule unleashed a powerful long-range strike that left Mohale with no chance. But for the goalkeeper’s efforts, the scoreline could have been even more emphatic.
Despite the comfortable margin of victory, Ouaddou felt his team could have been more clinical.
“The mission was to win against AmaZulu and qualify for the second round of the Nedbank Cup, and although it was not easy, we achieved that,” Ouaddou said.
“We started very well, and it’s now two games in a row where we’ve started strongly. We created a lot of chances, which is a positive.
“However, I think we could have been more efficient in the final third. I keep telling my players that we need to kill the game in the crucial moments.”
