Orlando Pirates boss Abdeslam Ouaddou refuses to give up on Premiership race

Abdeslam Ouaddou insists Orlando Pirates remain firmly in the Betway Premiership title race despite a costly 2-2 draw against Richards Bay FC.

The result leaves the Buccaneers second in the standings, one point behind leaders Mamelodi Sundowns on 55 points, having played one game more.

While the dropped points have complicated their pursuit of the title, Ouaddou made it clear that his side will continue to fight until the end of the season.

“We didn’t get the three points, the rest of the season will be difficult but nothing is impossible. When I say it will be difficult, it means we still have a small chance to dream and we mustn’t waste it,” said the Bucs coach.

The Moroccan tactician called for unity within his squad, warning against blame after what he described as a frustrating result.

“We have to play every match to the very end and we’ll see what happens. But what I want to say to my boys is that it’s always easy to make excuses after a draw like that, because for us, a draw is like a defeat – we lost two points.

It’s easy to look for someone to blame, but let’s stay united, let’s stay focused because there are still matches to play.”

Despite the disappointment, Ouaddou praised his players for their resilience in fighting back to secure a draw, suggesting his team could have gone on to win with more time.

“What I can say is that they showed tremendous character and real personality to come back to 2-2 and score that second goal. Unfortunately, time was up. I think if we’d had five or ten more minutes, we could have scored a third goal, but it was over.

Congratulations to Richards Bay, they played a good game and my boys gave their all.”

Ouaddou also pointed to fatigue as a possible factor, having named the same starting lineup that featured in the previous victory over Golden Arrows earlier in the week.

“I think we felt a bit of fatigue too, because I kept the same lineup, so we felt that some of our players were a bit tired. But let’s keep working, let’s keep believing, we don’t have the right to give up now,” he added.

The Pirates coach reiterated that the title race remains open, with several matches still to be played before the conclusion of the campaign.

“There’s a reality: there are still matches to play and, as I told you, our players and coaching staff will fight to the very end. We’ll sit down together and take stock at the end.”

He also acknowledged the role of the supporters, who continued to back the team despite the setback.

“I think our fans were fantastic again today; they gave us tremendous support. I understand their frustration because everyone wanted to win today, starting with our players.”

With the gap at the top still narrow, Ouaddou’s side remain within reach, but their margin for error has now been significantly reduced as the season approaches its decisive stages.