Ouaddou hails Mbuthuma and Radiopane after Pirates rout Kruger United

Orlando Pirates manager Abdeslam Ouaddou praised strikers Yanela Mbuthuma and Boitumelo Radiopane after they scored in a 4-0 victory over Kruger United at Mbombela Stadium on Tuesday.

Mbuthuma marked his first goals for the Buccaneers this season with a brace, while Radiopane and Gamphani Lungu also found the net as Orlando Pirates secured all three points.

The result came at an important time for Ouaddou’s side, who begin their CAF Champions League campaign away against Mauritian club La Cure Sylvester in the first round on Sunday.

With new signing Sebastian Pedersen still waiting for his opportunity and Evidence Makgopa unavailable through injury, Ouaddou welcomed the contribution from his available forwards. He said the goals would provide confidence before the club’s upcoming continental campaign and the MTN8 final.

“There are some games where we create a lot of chances and we don’t manage to be efficient. And in this game we didn’t create many chances, but we were able to score four goals. Well done to the boys,” Ouaddou told the media during the post-match press conference.

“These goals came in a very important moment where we will play the Champions League and the MTN8 final, so I think it is really important for the boys to start to score and bring that competition into the team.”

Despite the emphatic scoreline, Ouaddou admitted Orlando Pirates were not at their best in terms of performance. He said the clean sheet and the number of goals scored were the main positives from the match, while warning that his team would need greater control in their next fixture.

“We need to improve for the next game because we need to have more control. If I have to take something positive, it is how we defend, and the four goals are very important for goal difference,” he said.

The Pirates manager accepted that the match did not produce the fluent football he would have wanted, but said his players had fulfilled their primary objective by taking three points without conceding.

“There are games like that. Of course we want the boys to play better, but in terms of beautiful football, I cannot say we had a good game.

“But sometimes it is like that; it’s football. We cannot play nice football all the time. I think we were very efficient today [Tuesday], as we came here with a mission to take three points, and we scored four goals, and we didn’t concede.

“I think it’s a successful mission for my boys. Well done to them, and there is room for improvement.”

Attention now turns to the CAF Champions League, a competition in which Orlando Pirates will be seeking a much longer run after their early elimination last season.

Ouaddou said the disappointment of that exit remained fresh within the club and would motivate his players as they prepare to face La Cure Sylvester on Sunday.

“The Champions League is one competition that is important to us. We know last season we went out very early.”