‘We had Jesus Christ in the posts’: Ouaddou left in awe of Ricardo Goss

While Orlando Pirates may have been battling Siwelele FC on the pitch, head coach Abdeslam Ouaddou left the Orlando Amstel Arena convinced his side had been up against something far more spiritual.

In a post-match address that combined tactical frustration with genuine awe, Ouaddou heralded Ricardo Goss as the “Saviour” of the afternoon. The Pirates mentor suggested that the Mamelodi Sundowns loanee didn’t just play a match; he performed a miracle, forcing a 1-1 draw that felt like a heist in broad daylight.

“𝗪𝗘 𝗛𝗔𝗗 𝗝𝗘𝗦𝗨𝗦 𝗖𝗛𝗥𝗜𝗦𝗧 𝗜𝗡 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗣𝗢𝗦𝗧𝗦” 🧤

Orlando Pirates coach Abdeslam Ouaddou was left in awe of Ricardo Goss after the Siwelele keeper produced a performance of “divine” proportions at the Orlando Amstel Arena on Saturday afternoon in the #BetwayPrem.… pic.twitter.com/guado2ZRjx

— Pan-Africa Football (@PanAfricaFooty) March 14, 2026

‘WE HAD JESUS CHRIST IN THE POSTS’: PIRATES COACH ON GOSS

For a coach whose side registered 27 shots and a dominant 3.36 xGoT (Expected Goals on Target), the failure to secure three points usually leads to a dressing-room inquest. Instead, Ouaddou stood in defence of his players, pointing to the “divine” intervention in the opposition goal.

“First of all, we have to give credit to the goalkeeper. We didn’t have a goalkeeper today; we had Jesus Christ in the posts,” Ouaddou remarked, using the ultimate metaphor for a saviour. “He saved everything. I don’t know if I have to say something to my players—they gave everything, but we had a wall in the goals.”

THE ANATOMY OF A SAVIOR

The numbers provide a cold, hard backbone to Ouaddou’s high praise. Goss was a one-man fortress, recording 12 saves—at least four of which were considered “big chances” that would have rippled the net on any other day.

Statistical analysts noted that Goss single-handedly prevented 2.36 goals, essentially nullifying the offensive efforts of a Pirates side that dominated possession and territory. Beyond the shot-stopping, Goss’s 61 touches and proactive sweeping allowed Siwelele to breathe while under the “relentless assault” described by the Pirates boss.

While the stalemate is a dent in Pirates’ Betway Premiership title charge, Ouaddou’s focus remained on the quality of the defiance he witnessed. He warned his title rivals that if Goss and Siwelele maintain this standard of “desperate” protection of their status, they will become the league’s ultimate kingmakers.

“I can promise you that there are not many teams that will beat Siwelele if they continue to play like they did this afternoon,” Ouaddou added.

Despite the frustration of an early goal conceded to former Pirate Vincent Pule, and the subsequent scramble for an equaliser by Tshepang Moremi, the story of the day began and ended with the man Ouaddou dubbed the “wall.”