Orlando Pirates coach Abdeslam Ouaddou has been warned against starting players who are not deserving.
The 47-year-old has been rotating his squad since taking over at Bucs from Jose Riveiro, who left following the expiry of his contract. However, sometimes the tactic has backfired as seen in the Premier Soccer League outing against Mamelodi Sundowns where they lost 2-1.
One defeat became two last weekend as Bucs registered another loss, this time around against second-tier outfit Casric Stars. Pirates faces Masandawana at the FNB Stadium while the Nedbank Cup’s Round of 16 outing was played at the Orlando Amstel Arena.
Ahead of the Saturday date with Kaizer Chiefs, Ouaddou has been warned over making unwarranted changes.
A must win game for Bucs
Pirates have won the last four Premier Soccer League Soweto derbies and will be hoping to make it five in a row this weekend.
“Judging by our position in the league at the moment, Ouaddou has no choice but to beat Kaizer Chiefs. He must win. Sundowns have started collecting points again,” former Pirates striker Bashin Mahlangu told KickOff.
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“He needs to put out his strongest team against Chiefs. Pirates have players who can make things happen, so, on my side, I find it hard to understand the reason behind the coach’s chop-and-changing of his starting eleven,” he added.
Why is Ouaddou fixing something not broken?
“The other players must fight for their positions in the starting eleven. Players must have no choice but to grab their opportunity with both hands if they are coming in for an injured player,” he added.
“You can’t perform well today and tomorrow you close shop. It doesn’t work like that at Pirates. Judging by the way the Pirates supporters have been filling the stands this season, they will definitely be disappointed if the team fails to lift the league title.
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“People have been spending their last money just to go to stadiums to give their support to Pirates. Why is Ouaddou fixing something not broken, though?” Mahlangu concluded.
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