Orlando Pirates head coach Abdeslam Ouaddou has made a bold vow after the 1-1 draw against Mamelodi Sundowns in the Betway Premiership. The sold-out affair between the Buccaneers and Bafana Ba Style at Loftus Versfeld ended in a stalemate, with 43,000 tickets purchased for this thrilling encounter.
Masandawana were the first to draw blood through the PSL all-time leading top goal-scorer Peter Shalulile in the 20th minute of the contest.
Surprise starter Camren Dansin spoiled the party when he levelled matters just 10 minutes before the halftime break with a spectacular goal from outside the Sundowns’ 18-yard area.
This was the 20-year-old’s first goal in Pirates colours. In the current campaign, Dansin has played in over five matches across all competitions.
Dansin was promoted to the Pirates’ senior team in May 2025 following his impressive displays in the DStv Diski Challenge, where he captained the Buccaneers’ reserve side.
WHAT VOW DID OUADDOU MAKE AFTER SUNDOWNS DRAW
The Pirates coach said he started with Dansin because he believes in what the young players can do, having worked in the youth ranks for a while. He added that he will continue doing this going forward.
“Look, it’s difficult for a coach to start a youngster in a game of such magnitude. If we had lost this game, everyone would tell you that the coach put a player without experience on the field,” Ouaddou told SuperSport TV.
“As a coach, I have worked in development for about five or six years. You have to give these South African youth a chance and an opportunity to shine, and that’s what we did today in a very important game.
“I think this was a significant experience for him, and now we are giving him a chance to grow. It’s what I’m going to do moving forward: give opportunities to the youth. Especially South African youth; we really need to give them a chance.”
Pirates’ next league match will be against Manqoba Mngqithi’s side, Golden Arrows, away from home on Wednesday, 5 November. This showpiece will start at 19:30.
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