Pirates' coach highly praised Chiefs' technical team after the match in Soweto

The head coach of Orlando Pirates, Abdelslam Waddu, admitted that his tactical decisions nearly led to his team's defeat in the Soweto Derby, despite the Buccaneers winning against Kaizer Chiefs with a score of 2-1.

Pirates needed a goal from Tshapanga Moremi in the second half to gain the advantage at FNB Stadium on Saturday after a difficult first half against their fierce rivals.

The Buccaneers were unexpectedly disoriented by the tactical approach of Chiefs, and many believe the home team was lucky to go into the break with a low score of 1-1.

Amakhosi had several chances to take control of the match, but their inability to convert these moments ultimately came at a high price for them.

Instead of blaming the players, Waddu took full responsibility for Pirates' difficulties in the first half, stating that his attempt to surprise Chiefs with a tactical change was unsuccessful.

He noted: 'I think we planned something in the first half, maybe some surprises, but I think I will take one. For the first time, I won't blame the players. The coach should be blamed for the first half,' he said.

He also added: 'I made a mistake. I tried to surprise the opponent with a tactical choice that turned out to be inaccurate, so I think coach Waddu put his team in trouble today. I could have cost the team the game, but thank God we went into the break with a score of 1-1.'

The Pirates coach also acknowledged that Chiefs had enough opportunities to make the derby unattainable for his team before the break.

Waddu believes that the missed chances gave Pirates the opportunity to regroup and ultimately punish their opponents after the restart.

He emphasized: 'Kaizer Chiefs had the chance to end the game in the first half. Probably the score should have been 3-1 if they had taken their chances, but unfortunately, they didn't. I always say, if you don't finish the game, you give your opponents a chance to finish it, and we finished them in the second half.'

Moremi scored the decisive goal in the 55th minute after Tapelo Mokobodi broke through Chiefs' high defensive line and set up the winger for his fifth goal of the Betway Premiership season.

This victory brings an important result for Pirates in one of South Africa's biggest football events, and Waddu's admission provided a rare insight into the tactical decisions behind this derby.

Orlando Pirates demonstrated impressive play, starting their defense of the Carling Knockout Cup title with a 3-0 victory over Milford FC on Tuesday at the Orlando Amstel Arena stadium.

The team, which secured a spot in the final eight, decided the outcome of the match in the first half. Tapelo Mokobodi opened the scoring, followed by Tshepang Moremi who scored twice, completely taking control of the game for the Pirates.

This result also served as an ideal rehearsal for the upcoming Soweto Derby against Kaizer Chiefs on Saturday, as the Buccaneers maintained their momentum ahead of one of South Africa's biggest football events.

Mokobodi continued his impressive scoring streak, netting his second goal in two consecutive matches, allowing the home side to take the lead in the 15th minute. The 25-year-old midfielder broke through from the center of the pitch and connected with Moremi, who delivered a timely pass. Mokobodi remained calm in the penalty area and neatly slotted the ball into the lower corner of the net.

Then Moremi transformed from an assist provider into a scorer in the 34th minute, exploiting space behind the Milford defense. The winger received a pass, moved towards the goal, bypassed the goalkeeper, and scored from close range, doubling Pirates' advantage.

Since the Carling Knockout Cup features a prize of 100,000 rand for the player of the match, Moremi strengthened his chances for this award by scoring another goal in stoppage time of the first half. The forward completed his brace, making the score 3-0 before the break, marking a productive first half for the champion team and leaving Milford with a serious task.

After this, Pirates controlled the game, defending their lead, but simultaneously kept an eye on the bigger challenge awaiting them this weekend.

For coach Abdelsalam Waddu, this confident triumph was a pleasant stimulus before the derby, although the confrontation with Chiefs will present a completely different level of tension and pressure. Pirates will now focus their attention on Saturday's match, knowing that the victory over the Soweto rivals will be an even more significant statement after a strong start in the Carling Knockout Cup.

Meanwhile, for Moremi, the brace served as a timely reminder of his attacking prowess as Pirates strive to defend their cup title and continue competing in various tournaments.

The head coach of Orlando Pirates, Abdelslam Waddu, believes that mental resilience could be the missing element in the Buccaneers' pursuit of the CAF Champions League title.

Despite the team securing a spot in the group stage with a 4-0 aggregate victory over African Stars, Waddu believes his young squad still needs to learn how to handle the pressure associated with representing one of South Africa's biggest clubs.

Pirates won against the Namibian team 3-0 in the second match, which took place on Friday at the Orlando Stadium Arena. However, the coach noted that the contrast between the team's performance in the first and second halves revealed an area needing attention.

Waddu pointed to the large number of new players in the squad and the emotional demands of playing for Pirates as factors that could affect results, especially in decisive continental matches.

He explained: 'In the PSL, I have one of the youngest teams. Today you saw about ten new players, and it is not easy to integrate them into a big club like Orlando Pirates. You can be a good player somewhere else, but when you come here, we have to manage a big factor of emotion because there is a lot of pressure.'

According to Waddu, technical skill alone will not be enough if Pirates want to compete with established African giants. The coach believes that helping players manage expectations and the intensity of major matches is as important as improving their football skills.

'Of course, I have good players, there is always room for progress, but what we really need to help them with is mentally. It is helping them understand how they can cope with pressure and such games. If you look at the differences between the first and second halves, it is the same players, but different play.'

These statements indicate that Waddu views the issue as a development task rather than a deficiency in ability. With a relatively young group and several new faces still adapting to the club, he wants his players to become more stable when the pressure increases.

The Pirates coach even joked that the club might require specialized support to develop this aspect of the game in the squad. He added: 'I hope I can help them as a coach, but perhaps we will need a sports psychologist to dig deeper, because I am not a psychologist.'

Pirates' qualification for the group stage gives them the opportunity to compare themselves with stronger continental rivals. This will also test whether the lessons Waddu wants his players to learn can translate into results against top African clubs.

For a team aiming to add a second CAF Champions League title to the one won in 1995, the coach is convinced that managing pressure could be as vital as on-field quality.