Ouaddou Allows Pirates Showboating After Win Over African Stars

Orlando Pirates coach Abdeslam Ouaddou has explained why he did not object when his players showboated during their emphatic win over Namibian side African Stars, according to iDiski Times.

The Buccaneers scored four goals without reply in the match and progressed to the group stages of the CAF Champions League with a 5-0 aggregate victory.

Ouaddou: the goals mattered most

Speaking to SABC Sport after the match, Ouaddou said the goals were what pleased him most. He added that he kept urging his team forward even when the contest was effectively settled.

“Even at 4-0”, he said, he was pushing his players to find a fifth and a sixth. He also took pride in the fact that Pirates kept a clean sheet while scoring four times.

The coach said players who score that many goals have earned the right to enjoy themselves. He pointed to two of his players as examples, saying Phopho could climb on the ball and Masilela could showboat, and that he had said nothing about it. In his words: “I don’t have any problem.”

Ouaddou attached one condition to that freedom. “But you need to score four goals,” he said.

What happens next

With qualification secured, Pirates now wait for the CAF Champions League group-stage draw. It is set to take place in Cairo on Wednesday, and it will show which opponents the Soweto club will face in the group phase.

For supporters, the draw is the next date to note. Fixtures and opponents will only become clear once the groups are announced, so any talk about the road ahead will depend on that outcome.

iDiski Times also listed other Pirates stories on its site. These include Ouaddou’s comments on emerging talent at the club, with Padime and Masilela mentioned, and the unveiling of the club’s third kit. The source article gives no further details on either.

This story is based on reporting by iDiski Times.