Orlando Pirates News: Ouaddou praises ‘interesting’ Da Cruz

Latest Orlando Pirates news, including Nkosinathi Sibisi’ take on the CAF Champions League draw and Abdeslam Ouaddou lauds Kaizer Chiefs’ Fernando da Cruz.

Latest Orlando Pirates News

Sibisi responds to Pirates’ CAF CL draw

Orlando Pirates captain Nkosinathi Sibisi has reacted to the tough CAF Champions League group stage draw the Buccaneers landed.

Nkosinathi Sibisi of Orlando Pirates. Image: Orlando Pirates

Pirates were drawn in Group C alongside Tanzanian giants Simba, coached by Steve Barker, Moroccan side RS Berkane and Cameroonian side Colombe Sportive.

Sibisis admits it will be tough to navigate the group and make the quarter-final but is unfazed by the quality of the opposition.

“Coming to this fixture of the CAF Champions League, it’s quite a good fixture, it’s one level higher,” he said, as per KickOff.

“It’s going to be a good test for them (younger players), because not only the CAF Champions League is played on the field, sometimes it is played off the field.

Nkosinathi Sibisi, Orlando Pirates. Image: Orlando Pirates

“It’s going to be important for them to have that mindset, to say ‘whatever happens off the field can’t affect us on the field’, so for me that is where it will be a big test,” he added.

Sibisi also accepts playing Simba will be a big test for them given the struggles they have had before against Barker.

“Coming up against coach Steve Barker in our first game away, it’s a good one but we know Steve Barker has given us plenty of problems with his (former) team Stellies but we’re looking forward to playing the game,” he said.

Ouaddou praises ‘interesting’ Da Cruz

Orlando Pirates coach Abdeslam Ouaddou and his Kaizer Chiefs counterpart Fernando da Cruz. Image: Orlando Pirates

Orlando Pirates coach Abdeslam Ouaddou has given praise to his Kaizer Chiefs counterpart Fernando da Cruz despite the criticism the Frenchman has been facing.

Da Cruz has faced fire over his team’s inconsistent run of form which has seen them fall nine points behind league leaders Mamelodi Sundowns and eight behind Pirates while they exited the MTN8 and CAF Confederation Cup early.

However, as the two teams prepare to face off in the Soweto derby on Saturday, Ouaddou has lauded Da Cruz’s work at Naturena.

Orlando Pirates coach Abdeslam Ouaddou. Image: Orlando Pirates

“They are doing well because a lot of people can speak, a lot people can criticise, but if you see they are not losing games, they have an interesting game model,” said Ouaddou.

“We are doing well as well. So what we want is to give a very good image of football during the derby.”