Orlando Pirates coach Abdeslam Ouaddou believes a missed penalty was the moment that turned the MTN8 final against his side. The Buccaneers went down 2-0 to Mamelodi Sundowns on Saturday evening at a packed Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban, ending their bid for a fifth successive title in the competition.

Sundowns took the lead early when Teboho Mokoena finished from close range in the 11th minute. Pirates pushed for an equaliser after the break and were handed a golden chance when Mokoena was penalised for fouling Yanela Mbuthuma inside the box. Ghampani Lungu stepped up, but his spot-kick was saved by Ronwen Williams. The miss kept Sundowns in front, and Iqraam Rayners later converted a stoppage-time penalty after Thapelo Mokobodi was adjudged to have brought down Siyanda Ndlovu. That late goal sealed the win and handed the Brazilians their first MTN8 trophy since 2021.

Speaking after the match, Ouaddou pointed directly to the missed penalty as the turning point. “I think when we come back with the penalty, I think it was a good momentum to come to score. I think if we had scored maybe the game could’ve been different,” he said. He added that the penalty really shifted the momentum of the contest. Despite the disappointment, the coach was quick to defend his players. “I’ve nothing to approach to my boys, they gave everything. We wanted to win that trophy and get history again, but it’s football.”

Ouaddou noted that Pirates followed the plan and controlled large parts of the game, but pushing forward late in the match left space that Sundowns could have exploited further. He described the final as a high-level encounter that South African fans would have enjoyed. While the loss ends the Buccaneers’ four-year hold on the MTN8, Ouaddou said the season is still long and the team will keep fighting to defend their league title. “We’re going to fight to keep this title, but it’s good we are disappointed for our fans of course,” he explained.

The defeat means Pirates will now turn their full attention to the Betway Premiership and other competitions, while Sundowns celebrate ending their wait for the season-opening cup.

Source: https://x.com/KickOffMagazine/status/2109014964446830948