Orlando Pirates 'focused, hungry' to end Carling Knockout Cup drought

There is a familiar, almost ritualistic intensity that envelopes a camp preparing for a cup final. For Orlando Pirates, that intensity was unmistakable as head coach Abdeslam Ouaddou and captain Nkosinathi Sibisi addressed the media ahead of Saturday’s Carling Knockout final in Polokwane.

And yet, beneath the controlled tension, there was a notable measure of confidence — perhaps even quiet conviction — that this could finally be the year the Buccaneers end their long-standing drought in the competition.

Pirates, despite their rich history, have curiously failed to lay hands on this particular trophy for years. It is a fact Sibisi acknowledged with a mixture of honesty and resolve. Addressing a packed media room at the Rand Stadium, he did not shy away from the gravity of the occasion.

“This is the one trophy in the country that has eluded the club for longer,” he admitted, adding that victory on Saturday “would be a wonderful gift for our fans,” especially with yet another sold-out stadium expected for the final.

Ouaddou, in his first season at the helm, spoke with the calm of a man who has settled into his surroundings with remarkable ease. The Moroccan has guided Pirates to MTN8 glory already and has the club currently sitting atop the Betway Premiership table. Yet, he remains measured about personal praise.

“It’s too early to judge this work,” he maintained. “What I can tell you is that we are aligned with the targets of the club, and we are doing our job.”

That job, this week, is singular: win the Carling Knockout Cup.

Ouaddou revealed that although Pirates had spent the past weeks juggling league responsibilities, the players always carried the cup final “in the corner of our head.” Now, he declared, “we are fully focused… to achieve this important moment for the club.”

His clarity of message is not surprising. Throughout the presser, Ouaddou displayed the consistency that has endeared him to his players: collective emphasis, tactical detail, and an unyielding refusal to speak about himself.

“I am enjoying being a coach of such good players,” he said. “Every morning when I wake up, I come to work the happiest coach. It’s not an easy position… but I am doing my job with a lot of happiness.”

The coach’s joy, however, does not diminish his seriousness. He knows the stakes. He knows what Pirates fans expect. And he knows that Marumo Gallants, his former club, presents a unique challenge.

There are few things more intriguing in football than a coach facing his former team in a final. Ouaddou embraced the storyline but refused to dramatise it.

“I know 100% of that team,” he said of Gallants. “I know what I have left there… the team spirit that I built there.”

If anything, that familiarity makes the challenge bigger, not smaller. Gallants may not be the biggest club, but they are a side defined by grit, unity, and fitness — qualities Ouaddou helped instil.

“It’s a very well organised team… compact block… very difficult to find spaces,” he warned.

And he is right. Gallants’ resilience has defined their route to the final. Pirates, however, have spent the season proving they can break down any structure. Their unbeaten league run after losing their opening two matches, and consistent clean sheets, speak to a team that has matured defensively and become more incisive upfront.

The presser came a day after Bafana Bafana coach Hugo Broos had named his squad for the Africa Cup of Nations, and it was only fair that a question be asked about Pirates having the most (nine) players in the 25-man selection.

Ouaddou was visibly proud.

“First of all, we are proud as a club … proud as a coach,” he said. “Orlando Pirates is a club that works for the nation. We are available for the national team… for collaboration.”

It is easy to dismiss such statements as PR-friendly remarks, but the sincerity in his voice suggested otherwise. Ouaddou has always held a global view of football. To him, national team opportunities are not burdens — they are honours.

Still, the coach firmly placed the immediate priority on the final.

“Before speaking about the national team, we have a target this week,” he reminded the room.

And that target is to finally bring the elusive trophy home.