Ouaddou admits Hotto gamble put Orlando Pirates at risk in Soweto derby

Orlando Pirates coach Abdeslam Ouaddou admitted his decision to play Deon Hotto at right back nearly cost his side victory over Kaizer Chiefs in Saturday’s 2-1 Soweto derby at FNB Stadium.

Ouaddou said the unusual selection was intended to surprise Chiefs and protect Bulelani Sigomoshe, but the tactical experiment failed to deliver in the first half. Pirates were fortunate to go into the interval level at 1-1 after Chiefs missed several opportunities.

“I think that coach Ouaddou put his team in trouble in the first half; I could have cost the game, but sometimes you have to be honest to say it,” he told the media at his post-match news conference.

Hotto was moved from his usual role and deployed in defence as part of the plan to unsettle Amakhosi. However, Chiefs created enough chances to take control of the match before the break.

“But thank God we came at halftime with 1-1, and it was time to make some tactical adjustments, in which we changed some players as well,” Ouaddou said.

“We put the players at their right position, and we asked for some movement from the players, especially in the middle in terms of rotation of the ball.”

Pirates turn derby around

Yanele Mbuthuma gave Pirates the lead in the first half before Pule Mmodi equalised for Kaizer Chiefs. Tshepang Moremi then scored after the interval to secure victory for Orlando Pirates.

Ouaddou believed Chiefs had been in a position to settle the contest before half-time, but their failure to convert their chances allowed Pirates to reorganise and change the course of the derby.

“If I have to define the game, I think Chiefs had the opportunity to kill off the game in the first half, and I think they could have easily come with 3-1 at half time,” he said.

“They didn’t take this opportunity, and unfortunately in football when you don’t [take] the opportunity to kill off the game, you give the chance to the opponent to adjust, and we came back in the second half, and we killed them in football.”

The result completed a recovery for Pirates after a difficult opening period, with Ouaddou crediting his players for responding to the tactical changes and holding on for victory in one of South African football’s biggest fixtures.

“Well done to the boys; it is not easy to win the derby.”