Bullish Abdeslam Ouaddou praises Oswin Appollis after his dazzling Bucs' debut and stresses - 'Orlando Pirates are winning every cup'

Orlando Pirates head coach Abdeslam Ouaddou has delivered a warning to their MTN8 rivals, stating that Bucs are in it to win the trophy again.

The Sea Robbers became the first club to advance to the semi-final after a 2-0 victory over Polokwane City at Orlando Stadium.   

“I think it’s a big victory for us, but it’s not finished; we have to go through [the semi-final]. The target is to win the MTN8 cup," Ouaddou told SuperSport TV after the game at Orlando Stadium. 

“Orlando Pirates are winning every cup in the MTN8 [for three years]. Definitely, we have to win it. It will not be easy, but we will give our best to win it. 

“Very happy for the points (win), I’m very proud of them because we had a very technical plan; we wanted to play with a high intensity since the beginning to put pressure on the team. It’s what we did." 

The former Marumo Gallants tactician dedicated the win to their fans but cautioned that there is some improvement that needs to be made for the team to be perfect. 

“I think it was a good game for our fans as well; we wanted to give them a good game. We have been training in Spain for a long time, but now they can see a little bit of the team," he stated. 

"But it’s still something to improve; not everything was perfect, but at least I’m happy with the first game.”  

This will remain a memorable debut game for the Bafana Bafana star, who dazzled, got involved in the two goals, and was later named the Man of the Match.

The coach was left impressed and said the new Pirates' signing can get even better when surrounded by good players.

“I’m happy for him [Appollis], you know Appollis for a long time. When he is surrounded by good players, you can even see the best of him, but not only him," the Moroccan said.  

"I want to congratulate all my boys; he took the best man – Man of the Match - because of the collective."

Appollis had a dream debut for Bucs, scoring and winning a penalty against his former side. However, his Man of the Match performance was overshadowed by injury fears as he was withdrawn with what looked like a muscle cramp.

He was replaced by another new signing, Tshepang Moremi. Ouaddou also gave Yanela Mbuthuma, Abdoulaye Mariko, Sihle Nduli, and Sipho Mbule their debuts. 

The club's development graduate Cemran Dansin was also involved.  

The Sea Robbers now wait to see who will be their semi-final opponent. The draw for the last four showdowns will be conducted on Sunday after the conclusion of the remaining quarter-final games. 

In the semi-final, Ouaddou expects another spirited fight from his team that worked solidly against Polokwane City and delivered the crucial victory.