Warning shot: Ouaddou demands Pirates fix finishing flaws

Orlando Pirates coach Abdeslam Ouaddou has stressed that his team must become more clinical after their victory over Polokwane City, warning that better finishing is non-negotiable ahead of their massive CAF Champions League challenge this weekend.

The Buccaneers managed to steady the ship and return to winning ways on Wednesday night, securing a 1-0 victory over Polokwane City at Orlando Stadium in the Betway Premiership. The result extended their formidable league run to six consecutive wins, maintaining their title chase and keeping them in third place with 18 points from eight matches.

The win provided a crucial morale injection after the Sea Robbers suffered a bruising 3-0 defeat against Saint-Éloi Lupopo in the Champions League preliminary first leg in Lubumbashi over the weekend. With the aggregate deficit looming, Pirates face the daunting task of scoring at least four goals in Saturday’s home return leg to avoid an early continental exit.

Pirates Failing to ‘Kill the Game’

Despite climbing the league table, Ouaddou used the narrow win over Polokwane City to highlight a significant area for improvement: the team’s inability to convert chances and “kill the game” when dominant.

“Yes, three important points, it was not easy, I think the guys did well,” said Ouaddou. “Polokwane were strong, especially in the second half, they came to press us… with a lot of ambition maybe to equalise.”

While praising his players for their fighting spirit (“strength, character, personality”), the coach was clear about their offensive shortcomings.

“But we wanted to score more goals, we had the chances to definitely to kill the game,” he noted. “But it’s an area we have to improve, especially this Saturday, we need to score goals.”

Pirates currently trail Lupopo 3-0 on aggregate, meaning the failure to be clinical—a problem evident against Polokwane City—must be rectified immediately if the Soweto giants hope to overturn the deficit and secure a spot in the Champions League group stages.