Ouaddou Ready to Lead Pirates in Key Clash Against Lioli

Orlando Pirates coach Abdeslam Ouaddou is confident that his team will put up a strong performance in the CAF Champions League first preliminary round second leg against Lesotho giants Lioli at Orlando Stadium on Saturday.

The Buccaneers enter this match with significant motivation after winning the first leg 3-0 at Toyota Stadium last weekend.

Ouaddou expresses confidence in his team's readiness, stating, "I don’t need to see my players more because I know them well after two to three months of preparation.”

He added, “What I can tell you is that in this game against Lioli, we’ll put a very competitive team because it’s a very, very important game for me, players, and the club.”

A victory for the Buccaneers will advance them to the second preliminary round, where a subsequent win would secure their spot in the group stages.

The Moroccan coach is optimistic about his team's performance consistency, stating, “One thing I’m sure about is that we start to be consistent in the area of the truth.”

He noted, “We can see a strong Pirates when we defend, more connections with the players, and more strength. They try to recognise the triggers; they know how, when, and where we want to recover a ball when we lose it, which is very important.”

While he expressed satisfaction with their development, Ouaddou acknowledged that there is still work ahead. “I’m happy, but it’s not finished because I cannot say that everything is perfect,” he said.

He concluded, “We still have a lot of work to do, even though we’re doing well, because I’m still not 100% convinced, as we still have a lot of work to do.”

After this match, the Buccaneers will pause Champions League action as they prepare to face Siwelele in the Carling Knockout round of 16 at Orlando Stadium next Saturday.