Orlando Pirates head coach Abdeslam Ouaddou praised his substitutes for
their game-changing performances after his side secured a fourth
consecutive victory in the Betway Premiership with a hard-fought win over
Siwelele FC in Bloemfontein on Tuesday evening.
The Buccaneers had to dig deep against a well-organised Siwelele outfit,
but Ouaddou credited the entire squad for stepping up when needed.
“I’m a very happy coach,” he told SuperSport. “I have a fantastic dressing
room, and every player who comes onto the pitch shows the ambition to
change the game. That’s why I call them ‘impact players’—because they
always bring something different, and in the past few matches, they’ve
made the difference. I hope they can continue in that way.”
Ouaddou admitted that Siwelele’s compact and aggressive approach made it
difficult for Pirates to play their usual attacking style. However, he was
delighted that the tactical changes eventually paid off.
“They studied us well. They stayed compact, pressed aggressively, and
didn’t give us the space to play our football. But we made adjustments,
and the breakthrough came late in the second half with Appollis’ strike,”
he explained.
Looking ahead, the coach stressed the importance of consistency as his
team continues to chase the league leaders.
“We’ll analyse where we can improve, but the key today was securing the
three points. Staying close to the top of the log is very important,
especially against teams like this where you can’t afford to drop points.”
