Ouaddou warns Orlando Pirates must be at their best against Sekhukhune United

Orlando Pirates coach Abdeslam Ouaddou says his side still have areas to improve despite their strong run of form, as they prepare to face Sekhukhune United in the Carling Knockout quarter-finals.

Pirates have won eight of their past 10 matches in all competitions, drawing one and losing one, but Ouaddou believes their recent results should not obscure the need for greater control during games.

“The confidence is there, especially because we’ve been so balanced in the games we’ve played. We have kept our values, solid at the back, scoring goals, and that is something that can give confidence to the players,” Ouaddou said at a press conference at the PSL offices in Parktown on Thursday.

“We are not perfect and every game is another battle where we have to improve. Even though we are doing well, I am not 100% convinced about some areas that we still need to work on. I want to be satisfied with these areas, especially in terms of controlling games.”

Pirates will host Sekhukhune at Orlando Amstel Arena on Saturday, with kick-off scheduled for 3pm, aiming to reach the Carling Knockout semi-finals.

Despite having already beaten Sekhukhune three times this season, Ouaddou expects the quarter-final to present one of the toughest challenges his team has faced. He believes those previous victories could make their opponents even more determined, while the presence of Sekhukhune coach Papi Zothwane is another source of concern.

Zothwane caused Pirates problems last season while working as Richards Bay’s co-coach, holding them to a 2-2 draw in the second round of the league.

“It will be one of the most difficult games we’ve ever played. Why? Because we have already hurt Sekhukhune three times this season. Again, this coach [Zothwane] who is in charge now gave us a lot of problems when he was at Richards Bay last season,” Ouaddou said.

“We need to be at the height of our form to win this game. We need to defend our title.”

Pirates defeated Sekhukhune 2-0 in the league earlier this season. They also overcame them across the two legs of their MTN8 semi-final, winning the first meeting 1-0 before completing a 3-0 victory in the return fixture.

Ouaddou’s side will therefore have a perfect record against Sekhukhune in the three meetings played this season, but the Pirates coach is refusing to treat Saturday’s tie as a straightforward continuation of those results.

His warning comes as the club attempt to maintain their momentum while pursuing another route towards silverware.