Orlando Pirates coach confident of title fight despite draw with Siwelele

Orlando Pirates coach Abdeslam Ouaddou has expressed satisfaction with his team’s performance, despite being held to a 1-1 draw by Siwelele FC at the Orlando Amstel Arena on Saturday.

A first-half goal from Vincent Pule was nullified by Tshepang Moremi’s equaliser, forcing the two sides to share the points.

“I think we played the game that we wanted to play,” Ouaddou stated in his post-match interview with SuperSport TV as quoted by KickOff. “We had control, we played high, and most of the time we were in the final third of the opponents. We created many chances.”

Orlando Pirates coach happy with performance

The coach acknowledged the defensive lapse that led to Siwelele’s goal but emphasised his team’s overall control of the match.

“The opponent used one mistake we made at the beginning and they scored,” he explained. “After that, I think we were dominant for most of the game, but being dominant doesn’t mean you will win the match.”

Ouaddou also gave credit to their opponents for securing a valuable point against his side.

“I have nothing to reproach the boys for; they played a good game. We knew it would be very difficult against Siwelele. I think we must congratulate them on the game. They took two points from us, unfortunately,” he said. “Everyone could see that the boys wanted to win this game, but I’m not worried.”

Ouaddou upbeat about PSL title challenge

Looking ahead, the coach remains optimistic about his team’s prospects for the remainder of the season.

“If we keep playing like this until the end of the season, many things can still happen. We have to believe until the end,” he concluded.

The draw leaves Pirates on 48 points from 21 games, just one ahead of Mamelodi Sundowns, who are scheduled to play Marumo Gallants on Tuesday night and can open up a two-point lead with a win.