Orlando Pirates coach Abdeslam Ouaddou has accused Kaizer Chiefs of adopting a malicious approach during their 1-1 Soweto Derby draw at FNB Stadium on Sunday.
The Betway Premiership clash saw Amakhosi dent Pirates’ title charge, but Ouaddou was particularly unhappy with the physical nature of the encounter.
He claimed his side struggled to impose themselves in the first half because Chiefs were more focused on targeting key players than playing football.
The French-Moroccan tactician went as far as describing the match as “karate” rather than the entertaining spectacle supporters deserved.
“I think we must protect the players who are willing to play football. What I have seen today, I don’t know if I have to say that I have seen a football game or karate, I don’t know how we call that today,” said Ouaddou.
“I don’t want to disrespect other sports, but today was not a football game. Everybody is willing to play some nice football and there are some people that they have to protect as well the players.
“When I saw that our three players, three players, ball players, Mofokeng, Appollis, Moremi, were targeted not to take the ball in the rules, but to break the legs of the players.
“This is something that I cannot accept in football. And I think if I have to go deep in the game, our first half was not what we wanted to achieve in terms of football because of a team that came not to play football, they came to destroy and to break the legs of the players.
“This is what we have seen today. It’s very sad for football, it’s very sad for a fantastic derby because people come to watch fantastic football.”
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