Pirates head coach Abdeslam Ouaddou is under early pressure as his side gears up for a crucial MTN8 semi-final against Sundowns on Saturday.
The Moroccan tactician, who replaced Jose Riveiro, has suffered back-to-back Betway Premiership defeats against Sekhukhune United and Marumo Gallants, raising doubts among the club’s supporters.
Riveiro left behind an impressive legacy – including a record-breaking seven straight league wins from the start of last season – and fans had expected a seamless transition.
Speaking to Kickoff.com, club legend Edward ‘Magents’ Motale, however, believes there are encouraging signs despite the rocky start for the new Bucs coach and points to two key areas Pirates must sharpen to stand a chance against the defending champions.
“There’s a lot of positives. Against Gallants they had 18 shots – they’re attacking. But they’re not scoring enough. They must work on converting chances and tightening the defence,” said Motale.
The numbers back his point. In their MTN8 win over Polokwane City, Pirates registered 10 shots with only three on target (30%). Against Sekhukhune, they managed just three on target from 13 attempts (23%). The Gallants’ defeat saw them hit the target seven times from 18 shots (38%).
Defensively, Ouaddou has yet to settle on a back-four. Bandile Shandu started at right-back in the MTN8 win, before Tshepo Mashiloane took over – drawing criticism for his final-third decision-making.
At centre-back, new signing Lebone Seema partnered Mbekezeli Mbokazi against Gallants after Nkosinathi Sibisi had previously filled the role.
With a semi-final at stake, Ouaddou’s ability to improve precision in attack and consistency at the back could define his early tenure – and decide whether Pirates can keep their MTN8 hopes alive.