Orlando Pirates coach Abdeslam Ouaddou expresses delight and pride in team’s performance after securing a commanding 3-0 victory over Lioli in the first leg of the CAF Champions League first preliminary round.
The win, fueled by Tshegofatso Mabasa’s brace and Oswin Appollis’ late strike at Toyota Stadium on Saturday, puts Pirates in a favorable position ahead of the second leg.
Following the victory, coach Ouaddou highlighted the importance of effective player management, particularly when competing in multiple tournaments.
“It’s so crucial to manage so many players, especially when you play many competitions,” Ouaddou said.
“It’s very important to manage them very well, and sometimes you can have talented players, but you need some competence and qualities as well.
“I’m talking about human qualities and being human to manage the players and to keep trusting you and keep giving you everything in the game.”
The former Marumo Gallants mentor expressed satisfaction with the team’s squad depth, noting that the substitutes had made significant contributions to the team’s success.
“So, this is what we’re trying to do with my staff, and we’re together with the team,” he expressed.
“We can see that today (Saturday) we had some changes as well, but every time the guys who are coming in are giving us what we need, and I think it’s good news for us, and it can give us hope for the future because we can have some injuries and suspensions.”
The Moroccan coach was full of praise for his players, saying, “I can say that I’m very proud of them, and I’m a very happy coach because, since the beginning of the season, all the time when I call my players, even when they were on the bench, when they come, all of them bring something good. So, it’s a good thing for us, and we hope we’ll continue like this.”
The Buccaneers will face Lioli again in the second leg at Orlando Stadium next Saturday, with the winner advancing to the second preliminary round, and then, after that, will advance to the group stages.
The Buccaneers had a strong run in the group stages last season under Jose Riveiro, remaining unbeaten. Before the second leg, Pirates will visit Siwelele in the Betway Premiership at Toyota Stadium on Tuesday.
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