Orlando Pirates head coach Abdeslam Ouaddou has downplayed the impact of his team’s defeat to Mamelodi Sundowns in their high-stakes Betway Premiership clash on Wednesday night.
A brace from Colombian forward Brayan León powered Masandawana to victory, ending Pirates’ impressive 14-match unbeaten run across all competitions.
Patrick Maswanganyi pulled one back for the Buccaneers in the second half, but it wasn’t enough to turn the tide in a top-of-the-log match which was played at the FNB Stadium.
“I think we have [a game of] two halves. One where we wanted to be compact and to play in the transition,” Ouaddou told SuperSport TV.
“I think it worked because we had a lot of the ball and we created the most effective chances. Unfortunately, we were not efficient in the first half. On the other hand, Mamelodi Sundowns had a few chances and they were more efficient than us.”
The loss trimmed Pirates’ lead at the top of the table to just three points, with log-leaders Pirates, while second-placed Sundowns hold a game in hand, intensifying the race for the Betway Premiership title.
“It’s very hard to come into half-time with 2-0, but I think the boys did well in the second half. We managed to score early. We pushed, we pushed but we didn’t manage to score the second goal,” the Moroccan tactician added.
“I can say that Mamelodi Sundowns had the first half, Pirates had the second half but without scoring the second goal, so we are a bit disappointed. We still have games, nothing is lost but we have to play till the end.”
Pirates will be targeting but a win when they play host to second tier side Casric Stars in the Nedbank Cup Round of 16 clash at the Orlando Amstel Arena on Saturday.
