Ouaddou says title race not over despite Pirates’ latest setback

“We just have to keep going and believe because there are still nine games left,” said Ouaddou.

Orlando Pirates head coach Abdeslam Ouaddou has refused to concede defeat in his team’s quest for their first league title since 2012.

This comes after the Buccaneers were held to a 1-1 draw by Siwelele FC in a Betway Premiership clash played at the Orlando Amstel Arena on Saturday. The stalemate saw the top-placed Pirates miss out on a chance to extend their lead over second-placed Mamelodi Sundowns to three points,

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Vincent Pule opened the scoring for Siwelele in the first half before Tshepang Moremi equalised for Pirates after the break to ensure the sides shared the spoils.

Following the draw, the Buccaneers remained top of the log with 48 points after 21 games, but they now lead Sundowns by only one point and the Brazilians have a game in hand.

“We just have to keep going and believe because there are still nine games left. Our boys gave everything today on the pitch,” said Ouaddou during his post-match conference in Soweto.

“We could’ve been more efficient in the last third but let’s take the positives. There are still nine games to go and anything can happen in football. It’s not an exact science.”

‘We had Jesus Christ in goal’

Ouaddou was full of praise for Siwelele goalkeeper Ricardo Goss and jokingly called the Bafana Bafana shot-stopper Jesus Christ for his heroics in goal for Lehlohonolo Seema’s charges.

“We have to give credit to the goalkeeper; he was Man of the Match. We didn’t have a goalkeeper today; we had Jesus Christ in the goal today. He saved everything so we have to give him credit and I don’t know if I have to reproach something on my players, they gave everything to get shots on target, create chances but we had a wall in the goal,” said Ouaddou.

“I think he saved his team with a fantastic game. He had a fantastic game. For us the most difficult thing in a game is to create chances, especially against a team trying to save their position in the PSL (Betway Premiership). There are not many teams, if they play like that, that will beat Siwelele,” added Ouaddou.

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Pirates next faceTS Galaxy at Mbombela Stadium on Sunday. The Buccaneers, however, could lose their position at the top of the log table before that game if Sundowns beat Marumo Gallants on Tuesday.