Orlando Pirates won PSL, CAF Champions League next? Ouaddou responds

Orlando Pirates defied the odds to win the Premier Soccer League title for the first time in 14 years.

The Soweto giants beat favourites Mamelodi Sundowns to the crown. Masandawana had won the last eight editions consecutively and were hoping to win the ninth one in a row. However, Bucs, who had finished second in the last three campaigns, gave their best to go all the way.

It was a massive reward for coach Abdeslam Ouaddou who had taken over from Jose Riveiro at the beginning of the season.

The former Morocco international defender will, once again, get an opportunity to compete with the best in the continent in the CAF Champions League. In the just completed edition, Bucs were undone in the second preliminary round by St Eloi Lupopo of the Democratic Republic of Congo.

CAF CL Title? I’m not a magician

The tactician is hopeful of a good campaign but doesn’t want to make promises since, at times, things don’t go as anticipated.

“I think about of the continent, the necessity to have this physicality in the team. We have some good quality, but I think we have to reinforce our team in terms of physicality but I’m happy with the team that we have now,” he said in an interview with Extra Time on SuperSport.

“It’s important to compete against the best teams. You have seen against Lupopo, for example, at the beginning of the season.

“It’s completely another type of football, and you need to match these kind of games when you are playing the Champions League.

“I’m not a magician, but what I can promise to the people, like we did this season, we are going to prepare for that [Champions League]. We are going to sweat for that until we make them happy,” Ouaddou concluded.