Marumo Gallants head coach Abdeslam Ouaddou has issued a warning to defending champions Orlando Pirates, setting the stage for a tense Nedbank Cup semi-final.
Ouaddou’s team will take on Pirates, who have won the Nedbank Cup twice in a row, on Sunday afternoon at Orlando Stadium in Soweto.
Of the four teams that made it to the last four, the Free State-based club has been labelled as an ‘underdog’. Gallants and Pirates met earlier in March during a Betway Premiership clash with Bahlabane Ba Ntwa beating the Soweto giants 2-0.
It was also Ouaddou’s first match in charge at the club. The former Moroccan footballer acknowledges that facing Pirates is a huge task, but they also deserve some respect, warning Pirates that there will not be a small team.
ABDESLAM OUADDOU HAS WARNED BUCCANEERS THAT THERE ARE NO SMALL TEAMS IN THE NEDBANK CUP SEMI-FINALS
“When all teams arrive in the semi-finals, there are no more small teams. So everybody has to respect all the teams,” said Ouaddou.
“[Orlando Pirates is] one of the best clubs, not only in South Africa but on the continent. It’s a big challenge for us. We know that we had a great performance a few weeks ago [against Pirates]. But it’s another game. So we are prepared for that. Like I said, we will go there with the ambition to go through.”
Ouaddou: ”It’s a big challenge for my players as well. Are we able to do it again? We are prepared for that and you will have the answer on Sunday.”
NO ADVANTAGE FOR ‘RESTED’ MARUMO GALLANTS OVER BUSY ORLANDO PIRATES
Meanwhile, Ouaddou dismissed the idea that Gallants have an advantage as Pirates played midweek in the CAF Champions League while Gallants last featured last Saturday.
“I don’t consider that because these kinds of teams play three games every 10 days. So they have good fitness,” he said.
“They have a habit of playing every three days, and above that, they have a squad that they can change. Their players have the same fitness and the same qualities. So I feel we will have very strong opponents because they want to keep the cup.
“But I said to my players that people from Johannesburg and Pretoria have enough in terms of their cup and we should bring the cup to Bloemfontein.”
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