Pirates boss Ouaddou hails Magesi star Chipezeze

Orlando Pirates head coach Abdeslam Ouaddou singled out Magesi FC goalkeeper Elvis Chipezeze for special praise despite his team securing a 2-1 victory in the Carling Knockout Cup quarter-final.

Chipezeze put on a sensational performance at Orlando Stadium on Tuesday night, particularly in the first half, where he made a remarkable six saves to keep the Buccaneers off the scoresheet and visibly frustrate the home support.

“First of all, I’d like to congratulate the goalkeeper [Chipezeze], he did a fantastic job, because without him, we could have come to half-time with maybe five or six goals,” Ouaddou admitted after the tense match.

The Zimbabwean international, a reigning champion of the competition, has become a standout star, earning an incredible six Man of the Match awards in the Cup since Magesi’s promotion.

Ouaddou Details Tactical Fix to Break the Wall led by Chipezeze

Despite the brick wall presented by Chipezeze, Ouaddou stressed that the keeper’s heroics didn’t force a change in their core game plan; rather, it required a tactical adjustment in the second half.

“It didn’t change my game plan either, we just continued to push, just to bring more numbers in the box,” Ouaddou explained. He identified a key issue in the first half: the front line was failing to occupy critical scoring positions.

“What is important to score goals is occupying strategic areas in the box. We have seen in the data that 85% of the goals are scored when you cross from inside the box and it’s very important to occupy the first post, far post, penalty spot and the edge of the 18.”

By rectifying the players’ positions—ensuring they weren’t all in the same line—Pirates increased their probability of scoring and ultimately netted twice to advance to the semi-finals, joining Richards Bay and Golden Arrows.

⚽ Follow Pan-Africa Football across platforms for real-time news and stories.