Orlando Pirates Assistant Coach Abdeslam Ouaddou has leapt to the defense of young attacker Yanela Mbuthuma, urging him to bounce back quickly after his penalty miss sealed the club’s dramatic and heartbreaking elimination from the CAF Champions League.
Valiant Comeback Ends in Agony
The Buccaneers produced one of their most spirited continental performances in recent memory, mounting a spectacular comeback that ultimately ended in a crushing 5-4 penalty shootout defeat to Congolese side FC Saint Eloi Lupopo.
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Trailing by a seemingly insurmountable 3–0 deficit from the first leg in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Pirates returned to Orlando Stadium needing a miracle.
Goals from Masindi Nemtajela, substitute Mbuthuma, and Oswin Appollis saw the Buccaneers claw their way back into the tie, levelling the aggregate score at 3-3 and forcing a tense penalty shootout.
The drama culminated in sudden death when Mbuthuma, who had been a hero in regulation time, fired his crucial spot-kick wide, sending Lupopo through to the group stage and ending Pirates’ continental dream.
Ouaddou Highlights Team Solidarity
Speaking to Times Live after the agonizing loss, Ouaddou stressed that Mbuthuma should be celebrated for his contribution, not condemned for the miss.
The coach highlighted the crucial role Mbuthuma played in getting the team into the shootout in the first place.
“The first player I saw after the game was him [Mbuthuma],” Ouaddou recounted. “I quickly went on the pitch to tell him to chin up and be proud of what he did when he came on because he scored the second goal.”
The coach emphasized that without Mbuthuma’s impact, the comeback might never have materialized. “Maybe without him we could not have gone to penalties.
He is still young, there are many other competitions this season and he is going to be important for us.”
Ouaddou reserved special praise for the reaction of the entire squad, stressing that true team spirit is revealed in moments of failure.
“What I also liked was the behaviour of his teammates because they went to console him that moment. It is in those moments where you need your teammates, not only when everything is going well.
We need solidarity when things go wrong and that is what the staff and the players did for him.”
The focus now shifts to supporting the young player as the team moves on. “We will continue to work and life must continue for him,” Ouaddou concluded.
Despite the heartbreak of the penalty loss, the Buccaneers’ 3-0 win in regulation time demonstrated immense character and fighting spirit—qualities they will need to harness as they regroup for their domestic campaign and a potential spot in the CAF Confederation Cup.