Orlando Pirates coach Abdeslam Ouaddou says the CAF Champions League will be their focus this season. The defending Betway Premiership champions failed to impress last season and were eliminated in the preliminary round.
This has affected their seeding for this season. The Buccaneers are in Mauritius for the first-round preliminary stage this coming weekend, hoping to qualify for the group stage.
Pirates have had mixed results in the CAF Champions League in recent years. They’ve appeared in the competition 10 times since 1997 but have been knocked out in the preliminary round four times in their last six appearances.
Ouaddou says they need to set the record straight.
“It’s only the beginning of the season. The boys are doing well. We are following the momentum, the tempo. A lot of important games are coming, and the big test is coming. I think MTN will be really a good game. We expect a lot of South African football lovers to come and watch that game. It will be the real first test. Now we have the Champions League to focus on. Games that are important for us, it’s one of the most important targets this season, knowing that last season we completely failed in this competition. This season it’s really a big target for us.”
Pirates seem to have found their goalscoring form ahead of their match against La Cure Waves of Mauritius. Earlier this week, they thumped Betway Premiership newcomers Kruger United 4-nil.
“Let’s correct the things we have to correct but it’s not easy because when you give time to everybody you try to rotate as well. Let’s be happy and keep on going,” Ouaddou explains.
Pirates also have a solid defensive record, something Ouaddou will bank on against the Mauritian debutants on Saturday.
“I think we managed to defend well. I think this is the strength of Pirates when we are not so good in some areas. I think defending, nobody can say something about how we defend and we scored in the transition. It was a positive part actually.” Ouaddou explains.
The return leg will be played in Soweto on the 12th of September.
