‘Cup matches are about team spirit and we saw that today,’ said the Pirates head coach.
Orlando Pirates head coach Abdeslam Ouaddou praised the spirit in his Buccaneers side, after they beat Richards Bay 1-0 on Saturday at the Moses Mabhida Stadium to reach the Carling Knockout final.
ALSO READ: Moremi eases Pirates into Carling Knockout final
“I am proud of my boys,” he told SuperSport TV after the match.
Pirates’ Ouaddou – ‘It was not an easy game’
“It was not an easy game. We played a very good team with a good coach and good organisation. We knew they would fight until the end. Cup matches are about team spirit and we saw that today.
“Three days after playing Arrows, it was not easy.”
It was Tshepang Moremi who got the vital goal for Pirates, latching onto a superb pass from Oswin Appollis in the 42nd minute and firing into the corner of the net.
Ouaddou rang the changes in the second half, bringing on the likes of Relebohile Mofokeng and Sinoxolo Kwayiba.
“We wanted to bring freshness into the team,” he added.
“Saw with the staff that we needed to make some changes to be more offensive and we brought on Rele and Kwayiba.
“We saw their central defenders coming with the ball, trying to break the lines, we needed someone to press (from the front) and Kwayiba did a fantastic job.”
‘Sometimes that is what you need’
“I cannot say it was a fantastic game in terms of the football,” added Ouaddou.
“But this was a cup game against a strong team with good organisation. My players showed a lot of resilience. Sometimes that is what you need to get to a final.”