Orlando Pirates head coach Abdeslam Ouaddou has declared it good for the Betway Premiership that the title race will go down to the wire.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Buccaneers had a chance to end Mamelodi Sundowns’ eight-year dominance of the league when they faced Durban City at the Orlando Amstel Arena on Saturday, needing just three points to be crowned champions for the first since 2011-12.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But Ouaddou’s side failed to get the job done in front of their home fans after being held to a 0-0 draw by the Citizens, who are on the verge of securing MTN 8 football in their first season back in the top flight.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Pirates still trail the Brazilians by two points and now need to beat relegation-threatened Orbit College at the Mbombela Stadium on the final day to end their agonising 14-year wait for the coveted trophy, and Ouaddou has described the spectacle exciting for football supporters in South Africa.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“This (their failure to beat Durban City) increases the interest in the PSL Nobody gives up,” the Moroccan tactician said. “Of course we can be disappointed, but I think for the interest of the PSL it’s really good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“It means we keep the suspense until the end, something that was not heard of in the past eight years. It was unusual for you (the fans) because, in the past eight years, you knew one month before the end of the season who was going to be champion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“Of course we wanted to offer three points, and I want to be clear: not the title because a lot of people were already celebrating before this game. The champagne was out before this game.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“We are clear; for us the target was three points. We wanted to take three points in front of our fans. It didn’t happen, but I’ve been saying since the beginning of the season that the title will be decided on the last day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ouaddou is convinced his players will get over the line against the Mswenko Boyz, adding: “I am really confident, and my players should be confident as well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“We hope to give happiness and joy to our fans, but it’s not going to be easy as well because we are going to play against a team that’s trying to save its position in the PSL But let’s go and grab it. I think it’s a big challenge.”<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Orlando Pirates head coach Abdeslam Ouaddou has declared it good for the Betway Premiership that the title race will go down to the wire.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":858,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_vp_format_video_url":"","_vp_image_focal_point":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[29],"tags":[100,55,56],"class_list":["post-1606","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-local-news","tag-abdeslam-ouaddou","tag-betway-premiership","tag-orlando-pirates"],"yoast_head":"\n