Abdeslam Ouaddou reveals why he dropped impressive Bulelani Sigomoshe for Deon Hotto in Soweto Derby

Orlando Pirates head coach Abdeslam Ouaddou has revealed that he deliberately left Bulelani Sigomoshe out of his starting XI for the Soweto Derby to shield the young defender from the immense pressure of facing Kaizer Chiefs in front of nearly 100,000 spectators.

Despite Sigomoshe’s impressive performances in his previous two appearances, the Moroccan coach opted for the experience of Deon Hotto at right-back as the Buccaneers secured a 2-1 victory over their bitter rivals.

Sigomoshe, who recently joined Pirates from Milford, had stepped in for the injured Kamogelo Sebelebele and impressed with his seamless adaptation to the demands of the Soweto giants.

However, Ouaddou believed the magnitude of the derby presented a different challenge and was unwilling to expose the new signing to the possibility of a difficult outing so early in his Pirates career.

Ouaddou explains decision to protect Sigomoshe

The Pirates coach explained that Hotto’s experience and suitability for the particular tactical assignment influenced his decision, even though Sigomoshe had done enough to retain his place.

With approximately 100,000 spectators expected at the high-profile encounter, Ouaddou felt the occasion required a more experienced figure in the starting lineup.

“A player that was doing well in the previous games, Sigomoshe, until the last moment, I have decided to put Hotto there, about his experience, and because the opponent on his side was right-footed there, I was thinking that it could work there to stop him, and to protect as well Sigomoshe, because he did well in the last game, really, I’m happy,” Ouaddou told the media.

He further explained that the defender’s smooth transition from Milford to one of South Africa’s biggest clubs had impressed him, but he did not want the pressure of the derby to undermine his progress.

“For somebody to integrate so easily, coming from Milford to such a big club, I think just congratulations to him, but I didn’t want to burn him, because this kind of game is 50-50. You can be successful, but you can burn yourself as well.”

Hotto’s selection affected Pirates’ attacking threat

Although Ouaddou’s decision was motivated by the need to protect Sigomoshe, the tactical adjustment came with consequences for Pirates’ attacking approach.

Hotto, a 36-year-old primarily left-sided defender, offered valuable experience but struggled to provide the attacking penetration expected from the right-back position.

Pirates rely heavily on their full-backs to support attacks, create width and make runs behind opposition defences. However, the absence of those forward movements limited the team’s attacking options, particularly during the first half.

Ouaddou acknowledged that the decision affected the effectiveness of his team’s game model and admitted that Pirates lacked the attacking runs they would normally expect from that position.

“I didn’t want to burn him, because this kind of game is 50-50. You can be successful, but you can burn yourself as well. So I don’t want this, so I decided to put an experienced guy there, but it didn’t work properly there, and we didn’t have the deep, we didn’t have the runs by behind, like Sebelebele can have, like a few full-backs can have on that side, and you know our game model, that the full-backs are very important, and I think we didn’t help, I didn’t help the team, especially in the first half.”

Pirates coach takes responsibility for tactical decision

Despite securing victory over their fiercest rivals, Ouaddou did not shy away from acknowledging that his selection decision had compromised certain aspects of Pirates’ performance.

The Moroccan took responsibility for the tactical adjustment, admitting that his decision did not deliver the desired outcome.

He also recognised that coaches can make mistakes, stressing the importance of reviewing such decisions with his technical team.

“So it’s something that I have to take, to analyse with my technical stuff, but nobody is perfect, and you can see that some coaches can make mistakes as well.”

While Pirates ultimately collected all three points against Kaizer Chiefs, Ouaddou’s admission highlights the difficult balance between managing individual players and making decisions that best serve the team’s tactical requirements in high-pressure matches.