Orlando Pirates remain firmly focused on their own performance and not
the games in hand they hold over log leaders Mamelodi Sundowns, according to
coach Abdeslam Ouaddou.
Speaking at Rand Stadium on Wednesday, the Moroccan mentor acknowledged his
side’s position—second in the Betway Premiership with two matches fewer
played than Sundowns—but stressed that internal improvement is the sole
priority.
“We are focused on ourselves since the beginning of the season,” Ouaddou
stated. “I will not lie to you and tell you that we are not looking at the
log. But for us, it is important to focus on which area we have to improve,
which area we have to keep working. We are doing so well, of course, and we
are not focused on any other teams. We are focusing on ourselves.”
Ouaddou elaborated that the technical team is meticulously planning their
approach to each fixture, from start to finish, to ensure they accumulate
points over the long campaign.
“How we have to start the games and how we have to finish them… Every
game, we play it to win,” he explained. “The league is long and it will
finish around May, so we will make it count at the end of the season. For
now, we are focusing on how we are preparing, how we want to start, how we
want to win, and our organisation and management. Only these things are very
important for us.”
Pirates will put this process-driven approach to the test this Saturday when
they host Magesi FC. The match will mark the first game at the venue since
its official renaming to the Orlando Amstel Arena.
