Ouaddou tells Orlando Pirates players to ‘wake up’ after AmaZulu draw

Orlando Pirates coach Abdeslam Ouaddou said some of his players must “wake up quickly” after their 1-1 draw against AmaZulu FC in the Betway Premiership on Wednesday night.

Pirates made a strong start and took the lead through Tshepang Moremi, but failed to turn their dominance into a more comfortable advantage. Yanela Mbuthuma and Ghampani Lungu were among those who missed opportunities as the visitors allowed AmaZulu to remain in the contest.

The hosts took advantage before half-time, earning a penalty which Thandolwenkosi Ngwenya converted in the closing stages of the first half.

Pirates continued to create openings after the interval, but were unable to find a winning goal. The draw brought an end to their winning record at AmaZulu.

Ouaddou was particularly critical of his team’s first-half performance, despite believing Pirates had done enough overall to claim all three points.

“To be honest, I love my team. Of course, I will tell you we deserved more, especially if you look at the chances we create in the second half because I don’t want to talk about the first half,” Ouaddou told SuperSport TV post-match.

“The first half was really a disaster. So, if I take into consideration where we had more interest in the last third, more play forward, more combination and more interest in the last third, of course we deserved to win that game.

“But to be honest, I don’t think too many teams are coming to win here. I told you in the beginning that AmaZulu is really a strong team. They have some good players. I think the coach is a very good coach.”

The Pirates manager also praised AmaZulu’s coach, describing him as one of the best managers in the Premier Soccer League. Ouaddou said he had great respect for his counterpart’s character and ability, while stressing that there was still a long way to go in the season.

“I told you he is one of the best coaches in this PSL. I really like him; I appreciate him. He is very humble, and if we have to talk about that, it’s ok, the season is long. But we need to wake up; some players really need to wake up quickly.

“I have to give credit to Sibisi and Chaine. Of course, they went to the World Cup and they play every game, but the other ones really need to wake up because me, I don’t have time. Because now it’s an emergency,” he continued.

Ouaddou singled out Sibisi and Chaine for recognition, noting that both players had gone to the World Cup and continued to feature in every match.

However, he warned that the rest of the squad must respond quickly to the demands of the campaign. Although Pirates controlled much of the match and created enough chances to win, their missed opportunities and uneven performance left them with only a point from the trip to AmaZulu.