Orlando Pirates head coach Abdeslam Ouaddou says he can’t point fingers at his players who ‘gave everything’ in the 1-1 draw against Siwelele at the Orlando Amstel Arena on Saturday.
Pirates dropped two crucial points with Tshepang Moremi cancelling out Vincent Pule’s first half opener – which now hands Mamelodi Sundowns the chance to move two points clear, should they beat Marumo Gallants on Tuesday.
But Ouaddou said the game went to plan, but they just couldn’t get over the line against a spirited Siwelele, whom he applauded for their efforts on the day.
“We did the game we wanted to do, we had the control, we played high in the last third of the opponent most of the time, we created so many chances, so the most difficult is to create the chances, which we did,” Ouaddou told SuperSport TV.
“I think the opponent used one mistake we had in the beginning and they scored, and after, the rest of the game we were dominant, but it doesn’t mean winning the game. I have nothing to reproach the boys, they had a good game.
“We knew it would be very difficult against Siwelele, we have to congratulate them for their match, they took two points, unfortunately. Everyone saw the boys wanted to win this game but I’m not worried, if we keep playing like that until the end of the season, many things can happen, so we have to believe until the end.”
Ouaddou admits there’s room for improvement as they failed to capatalise on their set-pieces and the 14 corners they had on the day, while Siwelele had none, showcasing the ebb and flow of the game.
“You’re right, with the set-pieces and corners we had, the chances, if we want to be more ambitious and believe until the end, we will have to convert these chances, but the most difficult thing in football is creating chances, and we just have to keep working, believe and trust our players,” he continued.
“They gave everything! I saw them at the end of the game, it’s the first time I see them falling on the field, it means they gave everything, so no reproach to our players, keep working, keep believing, there’s many surprises in football and we cannot give up.
“We will die in every game like it’s a final. Nine more games, many things can happen, we have to keep pushing.”
