Ouaddou: We Can’t Have One Team Winning The League
Orlando Pirates head coach Abdelsam Ouaddou believes it is unhealthy for one club to dominate the league for an extended period, warning that such dominance risks reducing interest in the game.
Mamelodi Sundowns have ruled the Betway Premiership for the past eight seasons, winning the title in each of those campaigns consecutively, while Pirates have finished runners-up three times in the last three seasons.
Pirates returned to the top of the table on Tuesday night after defeating AmaZulu 2–0 at Moses Mabhida Stadium. Relebohile Mofokeng was involved in both goals, scoring the opener before his effort deflected off goalkeeper Darren Johnson and went in as an own goal.
The victory saw Pirates replace Sundowns at the summit with 35 points, moving three points clear of the defending champions at the halfway stage of the season.
Kaizer Chiefs remain in the chasing pack, sitting third on 30 points after 15 matches, five behind their Soweto rivals. Surprise package AmaZulu are fourth on the same number of points as Chiefs, although they have played two matches more.
Pirates were favourites going into the AmaZulu clash, having not lost to Arthur Zwane’s side since 28 October 2009, when Ayanda Dlamini scored the winner in a 2–1 victory at Chatsworth Stadium.
Since that result, Pirates have visited Usuthu 17 times without defeat, registering seven wins, including a commanding 4–0 victory in May 2023. They have also never lost to AmaZulu at Moses Mabhida Stadium since it opened for domestic football after the 2010 FIFA World Cup.
Ouaddou has challenged his players to remain at the top until the end of the season, saying a competitive title race is vital for the health of South African football.
“If you want to be part of what I call a marathon, winning today is fine and I’m happy for the players,” said Ouaddou.
“But the journey is still long because there are strong teams in the PSL. You have to stay humble, work hard and be professional.
“It is good for PSL football to have three or four teams competing for the title. It adds value to the league and to South African football.
“When one team dominates for decades and wins the league by 20 points, people lose interest.
“This season is good because we have three or four teams fighting for the title.”
What next:
Pirates will be back at this venue when they visit Tshakhuma Tsha Madzivhandila in the Nedbank Cup round of 32 on Saturday.
