Ouaddou hails Orlando Pirates duo after Gallants victory

Orlando Pirates coach Abdeslam Ouaddou was full of praise for midfielders Thapelo Mokobodi and Simphiwe Selepe following his side’s victory over Marumo Gallants.

The duo were influential in the midfield as the Buccaneers beat Bahlabane Ba Ntwa 2-0 in a Betway Premiership clash at the Royal Bafokeng Stadium on Sunday.

Mokobodi was rewarded for his impressive performance with the Man of the Match award.

“Even though I don’t like to speak about individuals because it’s a collective sport. But since he (Thapelo Mokobodi) came, this boy has been just fantastic,” Ouaddou told SuperSport TV after the game.

“I know him from Marumo. And he has a lot of activity in the middle; he’s very clever. He can give assists, he can score, and he can make plays for his teammates.

“He’s reachable in the middle, but not only him; I was really happy about Selepe as well today. He managed to keep us balanced and to be the link between the defence and the attack. He was really, really top in the middle.

“I really congratulate him, and I hope he’s going to continue to work hard to be efficient in the middle,” added Ouaddou.

Commenting on the game, Ouaddou admitted that the victory against Gallants was not straightforward, despite the final scoreline.
“To be honest, we won 2-0, but this game was very difficult. This team has energy, and they are very powerful, so it was a tough game,” said Ouaddou.

Following the win against Gallants, Pirates will now have three weeks to reset before meeting Mamelodi Sundowns in the MTN8 final on 10 October at a venue that is yet to be confirmed by the Premier Soccer League.