Pirates Not Bothered By Permutations

JOHANNESBURG – Orlando Pirates currently sit second on the Betway Premiership table behind Mamelodi Sundowns, with two games in hand, but head coach Abdeslam Ouaddou says his side is not distracted by permutations elsewhere on the log.

Speaking to the media at Rand Stadium on Wednesday afternoon, the Moroccan-born coach said Pirates’ focus remains firmly on their own performances, even as the league table inevitably stays within view.

“We are focused on ourselves since the beginning of the season. I will not lie to you and say we are not looking at the log,” Ouaddou said. “But what is most important for us is to focus on the areas we need to improve and the areas where we must keep working. We are doing well, but we are not focused on other teams. We are focused on ourselves.”

Ouaddou added that a key part of Pirates’ work on the training ground has been improving how they manage matches, particularly at the start and end of games.

“How we start games and how we finish them is very important. Every match, we play to win,” he said. “The league is long and it only finishes around May, so what matters is that we make things count at the end of the season.”

For now, the emphasis, he explained, is on preparation, organisation and game management rather than external pressure.

“We are focusing on how we prepare for matches, how we want to start them, how we want to win, and how we manage the team. These are the things that are very important for us,” Ouaddou concluded.

Pirates will host Magesi FC at the Orlando Amstel Arena on Saturday, their first home match since the stadium’s name change from Orlando Stadium.