Orlando Pirates boss Ouaddou warns MTN8 final place is far from guaranteed

Orlando Pirates coach Abdeslam Ouaddou has warned that his side face a difficult task when they meet Sekhukhune for the third time in seven days in the second leg of their MTN8 semi-final at Orlando Amstel Arena on Saturday (15:00).

Pirates take a 1-0 advantage into the decisive fixture after winning the first leg at Old Peter Mokaba Stadium last Saturday. The Buccaneers also defeated Sekhukhune 2-0 at home in a league match on Tuesday, but Ouaddou was unhappy with the manner of that victory.

The result gave Pirates another three points, yet their coach felt Sekhukhune had been the better team during the latest meeting. He contrasted that display with the performance in the opening MTN8 semi-final, when he believed his side had shown greater organisation, discipline and determination.

“We had an interesting game in Polokwane in terms of organisation, discipline and fighting spirit. For me, we could have won 2-0 or 3-0,” Ouaddou said.

The Moroccan coach was much less satisfied with what he saw at Orlando Amstel Arena four days later, despite Pirates securing a second successive win over their semi-final opponents.

“I have to be honest, today [on Tuesday] we won and I am happy for the three points, but we didn’t deserve to win today. Sekhukhune were far better.”

Pirates are attempting to reach the MTN8 final for a fifth consecutive season. They have won the competition four times in succession, but Ouaddou believes that record will count for little unless his team can improve before Saturday’s second leg.

“I know that it won’t be easy to qualify for the final … if we don’t find solutions it will be very difficult,” the Bucs coach said.

A draw would be enough for Pirates to progress on aggregate, while Sekhukhune must overturn the one-goal deficit to keep their hopes of reaching the final alive. The two teams’ back-to-back meetings have given both coaching staffs a detailed understanding of their opponents ahead of the deciding match.

Sekhukhune will be without head coach Cedric Kaze on the touchline after he was sent off during the midweek match. His assistant, Paulus Masehe, expects Pirates to remain faithful to their established approach rather than alter their style for the occasion.

“Playing against Pirates is always the same because they don’t change how they play … they don’t adapt to anyone’s style,” Masehe said.

Masehe also believes Sekhukhune’s performance in Tuesday’s league meeting showed signs of progress. Having struggled to impose themselves in the first match in Polokwane, Babina Noko were more assertive in the second encounter and took the game to Pirates.

“We were able to take the game to Pirates and that was an improvement from the game in Polokwane. We showed that we’ve developed confidence.”

The semi-final second leg at Orlando Amstel Arena is scheduled to begin at 15:00 on Saturday.