Orlando Pirates mentor Abdeslam Ouaddou has reacted to guiding the Buccaneers to the Carling Knockout Cup final, marking yet another cup final appearance for the Soweto giants since he took over the coaching reins at the start of the season.
Ouaddou has now reached his second cup final at the helm of Pirates, having already won the MTN8 tournament at the beginning of this season.
This comes after the Buccaneers secured their 1-0 win over Richards Bay FC at Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban this afternoon, thanks to Tshepang Moremi’s goal that made the difference on the day.
As things stand, the Sea Robbers will face either Golden Arrows or Marumo Gallants in the tournament’s finals. The game between the Manqoba Mngqithi-coached side and Bahlabane ba Ntwa will take place tomorrow at King Zwelithini Stadium. The kick-off is scheduled for 15:00.
This is the first time Pirates have reached the finals since the Black Label Carling Knockout took over sponsorship from the Telkom Knockout in the 2022/23 campaign.
WHAT ABDESLAM OUADDOU SAID AFTER REACHING CARLING KNOCKOUT CUP FINAL
Coach Ouaddou stated that his side didn’t play a beautiful game. But did what needed to be done to reach the finals.
“I can’t say we had a fantastic game in terms of playing beautiful football, but it’s a cup game. I think we saw a strong team with good organisation from Orlando Pirates,” said Pirates mentor to SuperSport TV.
“My players showed great resilience, and sometimes this is what you need to reach the finals.
“Luckily, this is what they did today. I think this was a good team performance throughout the match.”
The PSL will announce the kick off time and venue for the final fixture in due course. This will happen after tomorrow’s semi-final match between Arrows and Gallants.
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