Buccaneers boss explains why Oswin Appollis was kept on the bench in MTN8 final defeat to Sundowns

Mamelodi Sundowns tapped into their vast Champions League experience to overcome Orlando Pirates 2-1 in their exciting MTN8 final at Moses Mabhida Stadium on Saturday.

Pirates coach Abdeslam Ouaddou ruefully admitted his largely youthful team will take lessons from the chastening experience as they prepare to return to the group stages of the Champions League next week.

Sundowns coach Miguel Cardoso called on tried-and-tested campaigners Ronwen Williams, Thapelo Morena, Aubrey Modiba, Marcello Allende, Teboho Mokoena, Nuno Santos and Tashreeq Mathews, who played a key role in their statement victory.

Pirates were not outplayed, but they failed to take advantage of key moments in the game to punish Sundowns, something Ouaddou talked about last week in the build-up to the match.

“This kind of game is at the Champions League level, and we are one of the youngest teams in the league. My players have opportunities to play high-level games and grow,” the Moroccan said.

“When you take a player such as Simphiwe Masilela, Simphiwe Selepe and Kabelo Kgositsile, it is important for them to grow,” said Ouaddou after Pirates failed in their bid to lift their fifth successive MTN8 trophy.

Ouaddou also lamented the physicality of the game, which he said risked injuries.

“We just have to answer to the physical games; it can happen in the Champions League. We have a young team, and they have to get to these types of games.

“When I say they have to answer to these kinds of games, I am talking about the rules of football. Not to injure or break the legs of the players. If I have to teach something to my players, it will be concentration and commitment and to play the physical way on the ball.

“Not to injure players because it is not my philosophy. I was a defender for 17 years, and I only got one red card, and it was for protestation and not to ‘kill’ somebody. You must be careful of the way some teams are playing.

“You can break the career of the player; you can ‘kill’ a family because our players are working for their families. We have to be tough on the ball but respect the rules.”

Ouaddou also explained why he started the match with key attacker Oswin Appollis on the bench.

“He is one of the best players in the country and in our team, but when you have a game, you have a strategy. You have to anticipate what could happen in the second half.

“We planned to bring him up early in the second half because you know I work with impact players. He was part of our impact players, someone who could change the game.

“But the fact that we conceded early changed our plan because we were chasing the game. Oswin is a fantastic player, and he is important for us and Bafana Bafana.

“In this match, we took the decision to put him as an impact player to come in and change the game.”