Ouaddou calls on Orlando Pirates internationals to rediscover club form

Orlando Pirates manager Abdeslam Ouaddou has urged his international players to quickly refocus on club football after the defending Betway Premiership champions surrendered points in a 1-1 draw with AmaZulu.

Pirates opened their title defence with a 2-0 home victory over newcomers Milford, but their perfect start ended at Kings Park in Durban on Wednesday night. Thando Ngwenya’s penalty in the closing seconds of second-half stoppage time denied the visitors victory after Tshepang Moremi had put them ahead.

The result came during a positive spell for Orlando Pirates, who had also reached the semi-finals of their MTN8 title defence. However, their preparations for the AmaZulu fixture were affected by the absence of Thalente Mbatha and Evidence Makgopa, both of whom were ruled out with injuries sustained after returning from international duty with Bafana Bafana.

The pair had been part of the South Africa squad that achieved a historic knockout-stage finish at the World Cup.

Ouaddou said the wider issue was that several of his international players had not yet fully settled back into the demands of club football. He warned that any delay in regaining sharpness could quickly prove costly in a season where every point matters.

“Every point is important,” the coach said. “So, I need our international players to land in our hearts, team, and our planet. The US is finished. They need to quickly be part of the team spirit – the expectations of the club and fans.

“Football is very impatient. If we wait for December to get fit, it will be late. I really need them to come to the party.”

Ouaddou singled out Nkosinathi Sibisi and Sipho Chaine for making a quicker adjustment to the team’s objectives. He felt, however, that Moremi, who scored against AmaZulu, Kamogelo Sebelele, who gave away the penalty, and Oswin Appollis were still working their way back to their best.

“I am worried about the fact that we’ll catch up with the points that we dropped here,” Ouaddou continued. “But again, not many teams will win here against AmaZulu – they are a good team with good players. Only at the end of the season shall we say we bagged a point or dropped two.

“My worry is when will I recover the international players fully. Today, I saw a fantastic game from Sibisi. He was top. Sipho Chaine played his role. But since the start of the season, I have played with one or two men down. I hope they will recover soon cause there’s an emergency.”

The compressed gap between the players’ international commitments and their return to Pirates has made their reintegration more difficult. The squad also had to complete aspects of its pre-season work in Marbella, Spain, leaving limited time for the returning internationals to prepare alongside their team-mates.

Ouaddou said the situation was not unique to Orlando Pirates and was a consequence of the demanding football calendar. He remains encouraged by the work completed during the club’s five-week preparation period, including a two-week training camp in Spain and matches played every three days against strong opposition.

“I think the benefits of having five weeks of preparations, which include periodisation and two weeks of a pre-season camp in Spain, is good for the team. We played every three days there against good opposition,” Ouaddou said.

“We had a good result with the guys who started on June 24, and a different result with the guys who came late to join us.

“I am not surprised. We are not the only club with those results; there are some clubs who suffered the same fate in Europe as well. They had a problem with internationals – some are tired mentally and physically.

“It’s understandable due to the abnormal rhythm imposed on the players. It was understandable considering that the schedule could even be increased. The players are not robots. They need rest as well. I am not surprised. We need to find solutions.”