Ouaddou's Pre-Match Words Inspire Pirates Victory Over Waves

Orlando Pirates left-back Neo Rapoo revealed what head coach Abdeslam Ouaddou told the team during their pre-match talk ahead of the clash against La Cure Waves. The Buccaneers triumphed over the Mauritius outfit 3-1 in the second leg of their First Preliminary Round tie at Orlando Amstel Arena on September 14, 2026, after the first leg ended in a stalemate at 0-0.

Despite falling behind initially in the match, Pirates fought back decisively to secure their advancement to the next round, thanks to goals from Yanela Mbuthuma, Kabelo Kgositsile, and Kamogelo Sebelebele. This match brought them to a new challenge against the Namibian champions, African Stars.

Rapoo noted that Ouaddou urged the players to be aggressive and score early in the match, a strategy that was well executed by the team. "Coach told us that we have to score in the first 15 minutes and I think the guys were motivated because they want to reach the final stages of the CAF," he shared in an interview with OP TV.

He emphasized the unique advantage of playing at home, stating, "We knew that when we come here, home, we have like a 12th man supporter, so we have to start with good intensity, score first, and then just keep going and score as many goals as we can."

Rapoo highlighted their commitment: "We knew what we had to do. They were not gonna beat us at home, so we just had to keep going forward and just creating chances, and we knew we were gonna get goals."