Ouaddou warns Orlando Pirates their Champions League task is unfinished

Orlando Pirates coach Abdeslam Ouaddou says his side must treat Friday’s return leg against African Stars as a fresh challenge despite taking a 1-0 lead from the first meeting.

The Buccaneers secured victory in the first leg of their CAF Champions League second qualifying round tie in Botswana on Sunday, with Tshepang Moremi scoring the only goal after half-time.

Pirates now need to avoid defeat at Orlando Amstel Arena to reach the competition’s group stages, but Ouaddou has rejected the suggestion that qualification is already within their grasp.

“I think we have succeeded in the first half of the two games and we still have the second half in South Africa,” Ouaddou told the media after the match.

“I cannot say we have one foot in the group stages. We still have an important second half there and we will have to prepare for this to qualify for the group stages.

“It’s an important target for the club, the technical team and the players, so we’ll rest and prepare well so we can start that game to win it.”

The coach is determined that Pirates will not be distracted by their narrow advantage as they seek to progress beyond the qualifying rounds.

The Soweto club were eliminated by St Eloi Lupopo at the same stage last season, making the preparation for this tie particularly significant for Ouaddou and his players.

He said the team had also planned carefully for the conditions in Botswana, after the club’s analysis department forecast temperatures of 35 or 36 degrees during the week leading up to the match.

“When we prepared for this game in the week, at the beginning of the week, our analysis department already told us that we will have 35 degrees, 36 degrees. So, we were prepared for that. I said to my boys that we are on a mission and soldiers who are going to the mission,” he said.

“We don’t care about the weather, it can be 40 degrees, it can be -10. We are going there to get results and to go through the next group stages.

“Mentally, we prepared the boys because, you know, when you play in the Champions League, you have to adapt to any condition, and it’s part of the development of the boys; it’s part of football.”

Pirates will attempt to complete the tie on Friday and secure their place in the CAF Champions League group stages.