Abdeslam Ouaddou warns rivals as Orlando Pirates’ squad depth drives title push

Orlando Pirates coach Abdeslam Ouaddou has warned their counterparts not to predict their starting line-up or match-day squad, as they have enough depth at their disposal to tweak and change the team.

Pirates have been the most consistent side domestically. They are the record-extending four-time MTN8 champions, and have reached the Carling Knockout final for the first time since its inception two seasons ago.

But that’s not all. They are making strides where it matters most: the Betway Premiership. Pirates haven’t won the league since 2012, and they know that the greatest honour they can achieve is being crowned kings of the land.

Given the fact that they are level with reigning champions and log leaders Mamelodi Sundowns on 25 points — following their 2–0 win over Chippa United on Tuesday night — they could well reach the promised land for the first time in 14 years.

Ouaddou is going about his business in style. He’s stretching his squad to the limit, rotating players for domestic matches, especially after they were eliminated from continental football in the preliminary qualifiers.

The Moroccan-born coach seemed to have a wild card up his sleeve as he started talisman Oswin Appollis on the bench, before introducing him in the second half, where he scored the winner after Evidence Makgopa had put his side in the lead.

Chippa coach Vusumuzi “Kanu” Vilakazi was somewhat confused by the absence of Appollis from the starting line-up, something Ouaddou gladly explained.

“They shouldn’t be surprised anymore — when you see how we are working and have been rotating the team since the beginning,” Ouaddou said. “It’s a philosophy, and how we have decided to work this season.

“It is working well for now. I hope that continues. When you are playing every three days — except for the last three weeks — it’s very important to involve everyone in the team because you keep the motivation high.

“I think if you only play 11 or 15 players, then you’ll have a big risk during the course of the season of having the team demotivated. You can’t win a competition — or the league — with just 15 players.”

Pirates’ absentees on the day — and on the bench — included vice-captain Mbekezeli Mbokazi, who was in the stands amid allegations that he had been in the United States over the weekend to put pen to paper at MLS club Chicago Fire on a deal worth R51 million.

While Ouaddou refuted the rumours linking his rock-solid defender with a move away from the club in the near future, he was pleased that his defence kept another clean sheet, maintaining their solid structure this season.

“I think it’s very important to have a game model in defensive animation. You have to give players the ideas of how you defend,” Ouaddou said. “I always say that we don’t defend with three or four defenders.

“For me, defending is an art. It’s very important to know where, when and how we want to recover the ball, as long as my 20 players are able to answer that question at once. It means they understand exactly what I want.

“It means we are strong defensively, because we think the same thing at the same moment. Inside our team block, everyone is working and giving effort. If we have one or two players who let us down, then it can be difficult. So I have to congratulate them since the start of the season.

“They have been very brave. The team spirit they have shown is why it has been hard for teams to score against us.”