Orlando Pirates boss Abdeslam Ouaddou insists strongest team will play in MTN8 title defence

Orlando Pirates head coach Abdeslam Ouaddou says he will continue to select the team he believes gives the club the best chance of winning, rather than rotate players simply to improve their match fitness.

The defending champions reached the MTN8 semi-finals on Saturday after beating Durban City 2-1 after extra time at Orlando Amstel Arena. Substitute Gamphani Lungu scored the decisive goal in the 120th minute to send Pirates through.

Pirates are attempting to win a fifth consecutive MTN8 title, but Ouaddou is managing a squad that has undergone significant changes during the off-season. Several players still require competitive minutes as they build their fitness and adjust to the intensity of the new campaign.

However, the Moroccan coach says those considerations will not take priority over results.

“We’re not in the circus, we have a professional ecosystem, there is a lot of expectation. If you want to remind you about my first two games last season, you think I was happy to have eight bodyguards around me?” he said.

Ouaddou was referring to the pressure he faced at the start of his first season in charge, when Pirates lost consecutive matches. That experience has reinforced his determination to pick the players he believes can deliver victories, even while he works to develop the wider squad.

“I want to win, of course I’m gonna play the strongest team because the fans want to win this competition, the club want to win it as well and I want to win it as well and it won’t be easy.”

The Pirates boss also rejected the suggestion that players should be selected simply because they need more game time. With competition for places increasing, he said performances in training and during preparation would decide who earns a starting position.

“I’m always going to play the strongest team and the people who deserve to start will show me at training and in the preparation. I don’t give people flowers (favours) because when we lose three games, who’s head (is) on the block?”

Pirates face a demanding season on several fronts. Alongside their MTN8 campaign, they will defend their Betway Premiership title and compete in the CAF Champions League, making the management of their squad an important part of the challenge ahead.

For now, the immediate focus remains on keeping their MTN8 defence alive. The victory over Durban City provided Pirates with a difficult but successful test, with Lungu’s late extra-time contribution proving decisive.

Ouaddou must now prepare his side for the semi-finals while maintaining the momentum created by that win. He will also need to balance the fitness needs of his players with the expectation that Pirates continue competing for trophies, beginning with another attempt to retain the MTN8 crown.