Orlando Pirates head coach Abdeslam Ouaddou is preparing for his third Soweto Derby as the Buccaneers get ready to face Kaizer Chiefs this weekend.
Ouaddou made an impressive start to his derby journey, guiding Pirates to a 3-0 victory over Amakhosi before the two rivals played out a 1-1 draw in their subsequent meeting two months later.
Under his leadership, the Buccaneers won a treble last season and have also secured a place in the CAF Champions League group stages for only the second time in six years.
Pirates head into Saturday’s highly anticipated clash in good form, having lost just once in 17 matches across all competitions. However, Ouaddou insists there is still room for improvement as his team prepare for one of the biggest fixtures on the South African football calendar.
Speaking after Pirates’ 3-0 victory over Milford FC, the coach revealed that his technical team would analyse Chiefs to identify areas they could exploit while also addressing their own shortcomings.
“Tomorrow (Wednesday) we make analysis. We show the things that we did well and the things that we can improve. And we need to improve them quickly,” Ouaddou said.
“We don’t have time in football. If I’m waiting until December to improve these things, maybe it’s too late.”
Ouaddou eyeing second derby win
The Pirates coach’s comments suggest that, despite his side’s impressive run of results, he is not prepared to let their recent success distract them from the work required ahead of the derby.
The Buccaneers will be targeting maximum points against their bitter rivals, knowing that victory would take them to the top of the Betway Premiership standings.
However, a defeat would hand Mamelodi Sundowns an advantage in the title race, adding further significance to an already high-stakes encounter.
With bragging rights and valuable league points on the line, Ouaddou will be hoping his players can turn their preparations into another strong performance against Amakhosi.
