Orlando Pirates coach Abdeslam Ouaddou has revealed what he did straight after the Buccaneers’ dramatic exit from the CAF Champions League.
Pirates were eliminated in the cruellest fashion – a penalty shootout – despite a heroic, 3-0 comeback win at home against Congolese club FC Saint Eloi Lupopo on Saturday afternoon. Bucs striker Yanela Mbuthuma missed the final penalty, sealing the Soweto giants’ demise in the competition.
The match itself was a spectacle, with Pirates achieving an incredible three-goal rally at a sold-out Orlando Stadium to overturn the deficit from the first leg in Congo. However, the thrilling second-leg heroics fell short, preventing last season’s semi-finalists from advancing past the tough Linafoot opponent.
The defeat is a blow for the Soweto giants, especially given that the opponent had not yet started its domestic league campaign. In his post-match press conference, Ouaddou revealed that his first priority was finding the former Richards Bay striker, who is in his debut season with the club, to offer immediate encouragement.
WHAT OUADDOU SAID TO MBUTHUMA AFTER HIS PENALTY MISS
“The first player that I have seen just after the game is him. I went quickly on the pitch to tell him to chin up and be proud of what he did,” Ouaddou said. The former Marumo Gallants coach highlighted Mbuthuma’s contribution during regular play, when he scored a goal to maintain the comeback momentum. “When he came on… he scored a goal, without him, we could have lost the game before,” he stressed.
“He’s still young. What I told him is that he’s still young. Still many competitions this season. And they will be very important for us.”
Ouaddou was pleased with his team’s attitude as his players and staff went to console the striker. “It is in that moment that we need colleagues and teammates. It’s not when everything is going well that we recognise a strong team, but also a solidarity when things are going wrong. So, it’s all that the staff and the players did towards him. And we will continue to work, and life must continue for him. That’s it.”
Meanwhile, the Bucs coach said, given the immense goal deficit they had to overcome, the “initial plan was a false nine system”. He hoped that would disorganise Lupopo’s deep-sitting defence and create openings.
“I’m very upset for them [players] and the organisation. The top team was eliminated from the Champions League, but that is the reality of the sport. We must praise the opponent for their efficiency,” he added.
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