Orlando Pirates secured a place in the Carling Knockout Cup quarter-finals with a 3-0 victory over Milford FC,but head coach Abdeslam Ouaddou was far from pleased with how his team performed. Despite the comfortable scoreline at home, the Moroccan manager delivered a stern warning to his squad, emphasizing that simply winning matches is not enough to satisfy the expectations at one of South African football's most prestigious clubs.

The defending champions entered the fixture as strong favorites and effectively put the contest out of reach during a dominant opening period. Thapelo Mokobodi started the scoring in the 15th minute, and Tshepang Moremi added two more goals before the break, striking in the 34th minute and deep into first-half stoppage time. While the primary goal of progressing to the next round was achieved, Ouaddou felt the overall quality of play fell short of the standards required to compete at the highest level.

Following the final whistle, the coach criticized his players for a lack of composure and excessive selfishness in attack. He pointed out multiple instances where players opted for low-percentage shots instead of passing to better-positioned teammates, missing opportunities to build cleaner, more effective attacks. Ouaddou also expressed concern over the team's inability to dictate the tempo and control possession against a lower-tier opponent, noting that the victory was the only true positive to take from the evening.

Looking ahead, Pirates face a demanding schedule that includes a high-profile Soweto Derby against Kaizer Chiefs, an ongoing defense of their domestic titles, and a challenging campaign in the CAF Champions League. Ouaddou made it clear that achieving long-term success across these competitions requires consistent discipline, collective focus, and smarter decision-making. His blunt public assessment serves as a clear reminder to the squad that representing a club of Pirates' stature demands complete commitment in every match, regardless of the final score.

source:

https://x.com/iDiskiTimes/status/2115180484565295177?a=Dq9gw_Qpvdkq3homkew&s=19