Orlando Pirates head coach Abdeslam Ouaddou has expressed his delight after the Buccaneers secured their place in the CAF Champions League group stages with a commanding 4-0 victory over Namibia’s African Stars, sealing a 5-0 aggregate win.
The result marks a significant turnaround for Pirates, who missed out on the group stages last season after being eliminated by DR Congo’s Saint-Éloi Lupopo. This time, the Soweto giants have successfully navigated the qualifying rounds and are back among Africa’s elite.
Speaking after the victory, Ouaddou dedicated the achievement to the club’s supporters, acknowledging the disappointment of last season.
“It was important for us to come back into the Champions League because we felt sorry for our fans last season. I like to say, a Champions League without Pirates, it’s not the same taste. So we come back, happy for the fans, happy for the club. It was one of the targets,” Ouaddou said in an interview with SABC Sport.
The Moroccan tactician also praised his players for their performance, admitting that the team struggled to control proceedings in the first half before improving significantly after the break.
“We know that we had a difficult first half. Not even we scored two goals, but in terms of control, it was not what I was expecting. And after, the second half was much, much better in terms of control. We managed to score again two goals.”
The victory also provided an opportunity for several young players to gain valuable continental experience, with Bulelani Sigomoshe, Siyabonga Dladla, Cristian Derbyshire and Mpho Padime among the CAF debutants.
Ouaddou believes integrating young talent with experienced players will be crucial as Pirates prepare for the challenges of the group stages.
“It will be important to balance that team. In the Champions League, you cannot only go with young players. You need a spine of experienced players to guide them, to speak to them, because it’s a higher-level competition.”
The Pirates coach also highlighted the importance of adapting to the physical demands and different styles of football in the competition, while expressing his ambition to achieve something special.
“We really want to achieve something great in the Champions League.”
Ouaddou was particularly pleased with the team’s attacking display and defensive discipline, allowing the players to enjoy the moment after scoring four goals without conceding.
“My proudness is we scored four goals and we didn’t concede. But you need to score four goals.”
With their place in the group stages secured, Pirates will now turn their attention to their next domestic assignment before embarking on their continental campaign.
Written by: Sandile Ndumo
