Ouaddou fires warning shot ahead of Pirates vs Bay semifinal

Orlando Pirates coach Abdeslam Ouaddou is eyeing yet another final but insists his side must show “heart and spirit” against the Natal Rich Boyz, despite having a key psychological edge.

He is leaving nothing to chance as the club prepares for its Carling Knockout Cup semifinal clash against Richards Bay FC at the Moses Mabhida Stadium this Saturday.

Despite Pirates’ recent dominance in domestic cup competitions—having clinched seven trophies, including four successive MTN8 titles—Ouaddou stressed that respect for the opponent remains paramount.

“We have to give respect to the opponents. For Richards Bay, if they reach the final, it means it’s a quality team with quality players,” Ouaddou stated, emphasising that cup games require more than just tactical finesse. “You play cup matches with heart and spirit, so hopefully we’ll have all these factors in the semifinal.”

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The ‘Psychological’ Edge: Orlando Pirates

Pirates head into the match with an interesting advantage: the recent good form of former Richards Bay stars Yanela Mbuthuma and Nkosikhona Ndaba. Both players found the back of the net in Bucs’ recent league victory over Golden Arrows.

Ouaddou readily acknowledged the opportunity to leverage this personal history:

“It’s a good question. When you are a coach, you have to know the [history] of your players, and you have to play with that,” he said. “I know they come from there, and we have to use this psychological [advantage]. It’s an opportunity for them to show what they’re able to do, to show that they’ve improved as well.”

However, he was quick to credit their former club for their development, insisting the duo still has “a lot of work to do.”

The Buccaneers coach confirmed the club’s burning ambition to maintain its reputation as the country’s ‘cup kings’.

“For us, it will be important to be ambitious. Of course, we’ve won the first cup [MTN8]… the club is ambitious to play that game on Saturday and go to the final,” he asserted.

Ouaddou also singled out former Pirates striker Gabadinho Mhango, now at Richards Bay, as a specific threat, expecting him to deliver a top performance against his old club.

The semi-final showdown in Durban kicks off on Saturday (15:00 SA time), with the winner advancing to the final to face the victor of the other semi-final between Arrows and Gallants.