Orlando Pirates head coach Abdeslam Ouaddou has rushed to the defence of his players.
The Buccaneers are slowly finding their feet under their new coach after a sluggish start to the season.
In recent years, the club have won a number of trophies but they’ve ultimately fell short in the most important races, the league and CAF Champions League.
Mamelodi Sundowns have been a dominant force where Pirates fell short. In their dominance, many believe Orlando Pirates are not on level of the continent’s top brass.
Orlando Pirates coach defends players
The Buccaneers are gearing up to face Lioli in the CAF Champions League preliminary round on Saturday.
After picking up a convincing 3-0 win in the away leg, Ouaddou has urged his players to make a statement against the Lesotho side in the second leg.
“Tomorrow, I really want my players to show their superiority. I want them to also show the level of Orlando Pirates because I cannot accept as a coach that we are insulting my players to say that we are overrated. My players are not overrated,” Ouaddou said as quoted by FARPost.
Abdeslam Ouaddou has also urged his team to show they’re the best on the continent.
“We are Orlando Pirates. This is one of the best clubs. We are also one of the best clubs on the continent. Tomorrow I’m expecting a lot of motivation from my players just to show really the level we on.”
Second-leg details
Ouaddou’s side host Lioli in the return leg at the Orlando stadium on Saturday afternoon. Kick-off is scheduled at 15:00. The match will be televised live on SABC1.
The first leg ended 3-0 in favour of the Buccaneers. Pirates are also on a seven-game winning streak across all competitions heading into this clash. Additionally, they’ve lifted the MTN8 title.