Ouaddou calls for quick recovery after Orlando Pirates' defeat in their Betway Premiership opener

Orlando Pirates’ coach Abdeslam Ouaddou has stressed that it will be crucial for the team to bounce back from their defeat in the first game of the Betway Premiership season.

Sekhukhune United handed Pirates a sour start to the league, beating them 1-0 away at Orlando Stadium on Saturday afternoon. Siphesihle Mkhize scored Sekhukhune’s solitary goal early in the second half, burying home a rebound following a scramble inside Pirates’ box.

That win ensured that Babina Noko showed early signs of living up to their “dark horses” tag this season, while the loss put Pirates’ plans into jeopardy from the outset. Pirates are expected to challenge for — and win — the Premiership this season, as the club have invested heavily in preparations and squad strengthening.

Ouaddou conceded that they had a poor day at the office, although he insisted not all is lost, as the league is not won overnight.

“The chance that we have in football is to play again quickly and aim for victory in the next game,” Ouaddou stated during his post-match press conference in Orlando. “The league is a marathon; many games remain to be played. We started badly, but we’ll get some rest and quickly get back to business.”

Pirates’ loss to Babina Noko saw them fail to capitalise on Mamelodi Sundowns’ slip earlier in the day, as the defending champions drew 1-1 with Chippa United at Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium.

Ouaddou took a different perspective on the defeat, crediting the league for becoming increasingly competitive.

“This result means that every season the league is getting better and tougher,” he reasoned.

“The teams are preparing and organising themselves well. My analysis of the result is that there are no more small teams in the league.”

Pirates looked well-prepared and ready to compete across competitions when they brushed aside Polokwane City in the MTN8 quarter-final at Orlando a fortnight ago. The new signings — including Sipho Mbule, Sihle Nduli, and Oswin Appollis — hardly looked out of place in that game, driving Pirates en route to the semi-final.

Ouaddou still believes in the players at his disposal and in the team’s set-up, but acknowledges there is ample room for improvement going forward.

“It doesn’t give me a different picture of my team or my boys. We have quality, but there’s a lot of work to do, especially when you have many new players,” said Ouaddou.

“Of course, there’s still a lot of work to be done. I still believe in the players we have — there’s quality within the team. It’s only the beginning of the season, so we’ll regroup and bounce back.”

Ouaddou added that they must quickly get their league campaign up and running, especially with the quick turnaround of matches in the coming weeks.

“It’s part of football. We knew that we might have some close games in the schedule from the start of the season,” he explained.

“We need to assess player availability. We have many players, so rotation will be important when you have that many games in a short space of time.”

Pirates’ next match will be away to Marumo Gallants at Dr Petrus Molemela Stadium in Bloemfontein on Tuesday night (7.30pm kick-off).

The clash will mark a homecoming for Ouaddou, who began his PSL coaching career at Gallants last season.

The 46-year-old is not making the game about himself, but rather about the team’s need to secure three points against a side that won their opening fixture of the season.

“I have seen their result, so congratulations to them. But it’s not only important for me — it’s important for our team to go there and get the result,” Ouaddou said. “When you lose the first game at home, you definitely need to get points away to stay in the title race.”