Orlando Pirates head coach Abdeslam Ouaddou has taken responsibility for his decision to start Deon Hotto, a left-footed player, at right back, and to drop Sihle Sigomoshe in the Soweto Derby.
The tactical call did not pay off, and Ouaddou was quick to say that the blame lies with him and not with the players.
Speaking after the game, the Pirates mentor said he understood the scrutiny that comes with a selection of this kind, but insisted the decision was his alone.
“When I speak about this choice, and sometimes you have to accept, you can’t blame the players, I had the choice to make, I spoke to you about the magnitude of the game, today [Saturday] we’re talking 100,000 people,” he said.
Ouaddou explained that Sigomoshe had been performing well in the preceding matches, but that the occasion and the opposition’s threat on that flank led him to favour experience.
“A player who did well in previous games, Sigomoshe, until the last moment, I decided to put the experienced Hotto there, and because the opponent on his side is right footed, I thought it could work there to stop him and protect Sigomoshe.
“He’s done well in the last games really, I’m happy for someone to integrate so easily coming from Milford to such a big club. I think congratulations to him, I didn’t want to burn him because this kind of games is 50/50 – you can be successful, but you can burn yourself as well.”
Pirates lacked width and attacking threat down the right, with no one providing the forward runs that a natural right back would typically offer, and he made the change at the break, with Hotto moving to left-back and Nkosikhona Ndaba being hauled off for Gamphani Lungu to play at right-back.
“So, I decided to put an experienced guy there, but it didn’t work properly, and we didn’t have the depth, we didn’t have the runs in behind like [Kamogelo] Sebelebele can have, like a right full-back can have on that side.
“You know the full-backs are very important in our game model, I didn’t help the team, especially in the first half, so it’s something I have to take, to analyse with my technical staff, but yeah nobody is perfect, some coaches can make mistakes as well.”
Pirates went on to win the clash against Kaizer Chiefs 2-1, maintaining their unbeaten start to the league with seven wins and one draw, one point behind Mamelodi Sundowns – with a game in hand.