Ouaddou Urges His Side To Stay Number One
Orlando Pirates head coach Abdelsam Ouaddou says reclaiming top spot in the Betway Premiership is only the first step, with the real challenge now being to stay there and finish the job at the end of the season.
Pirates returned to the summit after a 2–0 victory over AmaZulu at Moses Mabhida Stadium on Tuesday night. Relebohile Mofokeng was involved in both goals, scoring the opener before his effort deflected off goalkeeper Darren Johnson and into the net for an own goal.
The Buccaneers leapfrogged Mamelodi Sundowns to move to 35 points, opening a three-point gap over the defending champions at the halfway stage of the campaign.
AmaZulu faced a difficult task, having not beaten the Soweto giants at home since 28 October 2009, when Ayanda Dlamini scored the winner in a 2–1 victory at Chatsworth Stadium.
Since that defeat, Pirates have visited Usuthu 17 times without losing, registering seven wins, including a commanding 4–0 victory in May 2023. It means they have also never lost to AmaZulu at Moses Mabhida Stadium since the venue began hosting domestic football after the 2010 FIFA World Cup.
Ouaddou said scoring early was crucial, as it forced AmaZulu to open up after adopting a conservative pressing approach.
“I have to say it was a good thing we scored early because it pushed the team to play more and gave us more space,” said Ouaddou.
“We deserved to win the game. In my opinion, we could have scored two or even three goals earlier to be more comfortable.
“It was a tricky match. If Sipho Chaine hadn’t saved that header [from Langelihle Mhlongo’s header], the game could have ended 1–1. But we made some tactical adjustments, and the impact of the substitutes helped us get the second goal.
“I’m very happy. The journey continues and the advantage remains, but the most difficult thing now is to stay on top. I hope my players show strong mentality, character and personality to hold on to this position.”
Pirates will remain in Durban as they face Tshakhuma Tsha Madzivhandila (TTM) in the Nedbank Cup round of 32 at Moses Mabhida Stadium on Saturday.
Ouaddou, who has now won four matches at the iconic Durban venue this season and is chasing his third trophy of the season, said recovery and focus will be key.
“We are going to rest and focus on the cup.”
