‘We must stop this nonsense’ – Why Orlando Pirates coach is not happy despite Magesi win

Orlando Pirates coach Abdeslam Ouaddou has expressed his disappointment with the manner in which his players failed to kill off the game against Magesi.

Pirates won 2-1 in the Carling Knockout quarter-final on Tuesday, eliminating the holders, after Tshepang Moremi’s brilliant striker added to Evidence Makgopa’s late goal, although the outgoing champions pulled one back late on.

While Ouaddou is happy with the win, he is not impressed that his team failed to utilise their chances while they were just happy to keep possession by playing the ball around when they were 1-0 up.

“We started the game like we planned with high intensity, we wanted to score early with pressure on the opponent, the boys did fantastic in terms of football and what we wanted to execute today,” Ouaddou said after the match as per iDiski Times.

What annoyed the Pirates coach?

“We had many chances, we could have had five goals at half time which is a positive point and I want to congratulate my boys for that, it was important to take this victory and go to the next stage – which we have done.

“Now my big disappointment is the last 15 minutes, it’s my first time I will address that, if we want to be more ambitious and want to move forward, we have to stop this nonsense of playing sterile possession and to enjoy playing small passes.

“If we want to do this, we have to go to the circus, I’m not here to go to the circus or play circus, i’m here to improve my players to go forward and we have to stop this nonsense, because in the end we concede a goal and our target [was a clean sheet], and to score more goals. So we need to improve on that if we want to be more ambitious.”

The former Marumo Gallants coach also weighed in on the subject of showboating which has become a hot topic in South African football.

Ouaddou weighs in on showboating

While some have lauded it, Ouaddou is among those who does not support it and was not delighted when his players employed the approach against Magesi late in the game.

“I’m respecting the culture and traditions, in a fantastic country who love football, it’s a land of football; South Africa, but we need to find the right balance between doing our job to score goals, it’s okay in a cup game, but in the league every goal is important,” he went on.

“So for me – as long as you make passes, you can make 20-30 passes, to make the show, I’m happy for that, I was a footballer as well and I like the show. But to go forward and finish the action. But if you stay in the same possession, the same place with 30 passes in five square meters, it’s not interesting.”

Pirates had the best possible preparations for their next game as they face champions Mamelodi Sundowns in a PSL match on Saturday November 1 at Loftus Versfeld Stadium.