After earning a place in the Nedbank Cup semi-finals, Marumo Gallants coach Abdeslam Ouaddou is confident that his team is prepared for the challenge of facing Orlando Pirates.
Ouaddou has already beaten the Soweto giants in his first game in charge of the Limpopo-based club. Shocking them to a 2-0 loss thanks to goals on 1 March.
Ouaddou acknowledges that reaching the final of a cup competition inevitably means facing top teams, but he is confident that his squad can rise to the occasion.
“When you reach the semi-finals, you are left with only big teams. You can’t say, ‘Oh, I’d like to choose Mamelodi Sundowns, Pirates, or Kaizer Chiefs.’ These are all top clubs, and we will prepare accordingly. We will try to recover and approach the match with confidence and ambition. We did it once, so why not do it a second time?” Ouaddou told Sportswire.com.
While making it to the Nedbank Cup semi-finals is a significant achievement, Gallants are struggling in the Betway Premiership. Bahlabane Ba Ntwa currently sit 14th on the 16-team log, having collected just 19 points from 20 matches.
With a crucial league fixture against Sekhukhune United at home on Wednesday, Ouaddou is concerned about his players’ recovery and acknowledges that their primary goal remains avoiding relegation.
“I’m wondering how my players will react and how they will recover because we will sleep in Durban and travel tomorrow (Monday), so we won’t train. We will try to manage it with my staff and the performance department to ensure the team is fit for the league game,” he added.
“I agree that the priority is to save the club, and we will give our all to achieve that. But I’m optimistic. If my players continue to show the same fighting spirit and determination as they did on Sunday, I’m confident we will manage to secure our survival.”
Gallants reached the semi-finals of the Nedbank Cup after beating Durban City 4-1 on penalties.