Abdeslam Ouaddou concedes Orlando Pirates 'didn’t have moment to play our football' against Siwelele amid disappointment from fans after what they claim was a 'horrible game'

Orlando Pirates needed an 80th-minute strike from Oswin Appollis to claim a 1-0 win over Siwelele at the Free State Stadium in Bloemfontein.

It was a fourth consecutive Premier Soccer League win for the Sea Robbers, who had started the 2025/26 season with back-to-back losses.

The mid-week victory took Bucs fourth on the table with 12 wins from six games, but Siwelele dropped to 15th following their sixth loss, coupled with a draw and a win from the eight games played so far.

Despite the win, Pirates struggled to break down Siwelele and, at times, lacked ideas, resorting to either backpasses or long balls.

Even the supporters were not impressed with their team, claiming their football was 'horrible and boring'.

Coach Abdeslam Ouaddou has now conceded it wasn't easy for his players to play their usual beautiful game and has since given his reasons.

“We didn’t have a moment to play our football, but we make some changes again,” the former Morocco international stated.
“The chance came at the end of the second half with a shot from Appollis, and we are going to analyse what we can improve.

"But the most important [thing on Tuesday] was to take the three points and be close to the logging because we know that it’s very important not to lose points today against these teams," Ouaddou continued.

“Like I told you, I’m a very happy coach. I told you I have a fantastic dressing room.

“All the guys who come into the pitch have the ambition to change the game.

“They are fantastic. I call them impact players; it’s why I call them impact players, cause they are here to change the game, and for a few games, it’s what they did.

“I hope they will continue like that," he concluded.

Victory against Siwelele is a massive confidence booster for the Soweto giants, who have a CAF Champions League outing this weekend.

Bucs defeated Lioli from Lesotho 3-0 in the initial meeting of the first preliminary round, putting them in a good position to advance.