Orlando Pirates head coach Abdeslam Ouaddou believes the impressive performance from his players, particularly the seven debutants, was a natural reaction to the coaching change.
The Buccaneers secured a comfortable 2-0 victory over Polokwane City in their MTN8 quarterfinal clash at Orlando Stadium.
New signing Oswin Appollis was the standout performer, scoring the opening goal against his former club and earning the penalty from which Patrick Maswanganyi sealed the win.
The midfield was also controlled by two other debutants, Sihle Nduli and Sipho Mbule, who showed great composure in their first competitive outings for the club.
The new faces didn't stop there, as Tshepang Moremi, Yanela Mbuthuma, and Abdoulaye Mariko all made their first appearances from the bench.
Additionally, Boitumelo Radiopane was given a surprise start as the lone striker and delivered an impressive performance, further showcasing the team's renewed energy.
PIRATES COACH ON PERFORMANCES OF NEW PLAYERS
“When a new coach comes in, and when I was in their position while I was still a player, you want to impress the coach, and I’m happy about that, this season the club has decided to go for depth in the squad,” he said.
“We have to give chances who deserve it, I don’t just give chances because I want to please them – if I give chances it’s because you show me in training that you can bring something to the team, so all the guys you have seen come in, they showed me something in pre-season.
“I want to say, to win a game, you need 11 players, but to win the titles, to win competitions, you need a group and it’s the philsophy we want to implement this season, we have seen in the pre-season camp that we can change the players…
“It’s very important to get everyone involved in the club – but I don’t have to forget the other players that was not with us today, they had a game this morning. Everyone will be important, I will never call a player a substitute, I try to avoid that word, they are all impact players.”
