Orlando Pirates head coach Abdeslam Ouaddou has admitted that he was not completely satisfied with his team's performance despite securing a place in the Carling Knockout Cup semi-finals.

The Buccaneers continued their cup campaign with a narrow 1-0 victory over Sekhukhune United at Orlando Amstel Arena on Saturday. Mpho Padime scored the only goal of the match in the first half to send the Soweto giants into the last four of the competition.

Although the result was positive for Pirates, Ouaddou made it clear that there were several areas of their performance that needed improvement. The Moroccan coach was pleased with the qualification but felt his players could have managed the match much better, particularly when they were in possession of the ball.

Speaking after the game on SuperSport TV, Ouaddou explained that his team struggled to maintain control at certain stages and sometimes made unnecessary mistakes that allowed Sekhukhune United to remain in the contest.

He admitted that Pirates were giving away possession too cheaply, especially in important areas of the pitch. According to the coach, his players sometimes appeared to panic when there was no real pressure, making it difficult for the team to control the tempo of the match.

Ouaddou said he was happy with the result and reaching the semi-finals, but stressed that the performance was not at the level he expected from his players.

The Pirates coach also pointed out that his team had opportunities to put the match beyond Sekhukhune's reach but failed to take advantage of them. Instead of making better decisions in possession, the Buccaneers sometimes chose to clear the ball unnecessarily, giving their opponents another opportunity to attack.

The coach believes these are the types of situations his team must improve if they want to compete successfully for silverware this season.

Pirates have shown that they can produce results in cup competitions, but Ouaddou wants greater composure and better decision-making from his players as the pressure increases.

The narrow victory means the Buccaneers are now among the four remaining teams in the Carling Knockout Cup. They will discover their semi-final opponents following Sunday's draw.

With a place in the final now within reach, Ouaddou will be hoping his players take his criticism positively and produce a more convincing performance in their next cup encounter.

For Pirates supporters, qualification is certainly important, but the coach's comments suggest that he expects much more from his team as they continue their pursuit of another trophy.

Source: IDiskiTimes