Abdeslam Ouaddou’s Tactical Approach Lauded After Orlando Pirates’ Narrow Win

Orlando Pirates’ recent 1-0 victory at the Toyota Stadium has drawn attention to the tactical qualities that have come to define Abdeslam Ouaddou’s tenure as head coach. Despite being expected to dominate a struggling opponent, Pirates had to rely on substitute Oswin Appollis’ pace and precision to secure the win in the 80th minute. His low-driven finish capitalised on sloppy defending, ensuring the Soweto giants collected all three points.

Former Pirates left-back Innocent Chikoya praised Ouaddou’s defensive organisation, noting its impact on results. “When coach Abdeslam Ouaddou was at Marumo Gallants, we lost against them. He typically didn’t win by more than two goals, which shows he knows how to tighten the defence. He knows how to shut the gate,” Chikoya explained.

Chikoya highlighted the shift from last season, when Pirates conceded frequently, to the current campaign under Ouaddou. “Last season, we were conceding a lot of goals, but now we have someone who can manage to win games 1-0. We’re not conceding, which is a plus. Now, going into a game, we just need to score one goal, keep a clean sheet, and we win.”

He added that collecting points is more important than playing flashy football. “Knowing that our chance of keeping a clean sheet is 99%, we just need to hope for one goal because, at the end of the day, it’s the three points that matter. You can either play brilliant football and not win or play ugly and still collect maximum points. Sometimes, we may not play pretty football, but we will still gather points.”

Chikoya stressed the importance of victories against smaller teams in the league race. “We need to secure wins against teams like Marumo Gallants in the same manner. When we face Kaizer Chiefs or Mamelodi Sundowns, those matches will be exciting, but consistently collecting points is key to winning the league. If you don’t score, you don’t win the league.”

He also praised the squad depth, particularly the impact of substitutes. “As we start collecting points, confidence builds. The depth of the team is very good, especially with players coming off the bench. For me, as long as it’s three points, I’m satisfied.”

Pirates will now turn their focus to the CAF Champions League, taking on Lesotho’s Lioli FC in the second leg of the first preliminary round on Saturday at 15:00, before resuming their Betway Premiership campaign.