Fresh from qualifying for the group stages of the CAF Champions League this past weekend, Orlando Pirates will change their focus to the Carling Knockout, where they face Milford FC in the round of 16.

The Buccaneers booked their place among Africa’s elite with a convincing 4-0 victory over African Stars at Orlando Amstel Arena on Friday, completing a 5-0 aggregate win.

Pirates, however, will have little time to celebrate as they prepare to face Milford at the same venue on Tuesday night (kick-off at 7 pm).

Speaking ahead of this clash, Pirates coach Abdeslam Ouaddou said he was expecting a difficult clash against a “well-coached” Milford outfit.

“The advantage, the positive point, is that we’re playing at home, but I think it will be a difficult game. If you remember when we played Milford in the first game of the season, I said there are not many teams that will beat them,” said Ouaddou.

“They have shown resilience, and they have shown a lot of confidence. They’re a well-coached team, very disciplined, very organised. They can run as well, so it’s not going to be an easy game.”

‘We may need a sports psychologist’

With Pirates competing in multiple competitions, including the CAF Champions League, Ouaddou admits his young team will need help managing the pressure of trying to win all these types of games.

“In the PSL, I have one of the youngest teams. Today (Friday) you saw about ten new players, and it’s not easy to integrate them into a big club like Orlando Pirates. You can be a good player elsewhere, but when you come here, we have to manage the big factor of emotions because there’s a lot of pressure,” said Ouaddou after his side’s victory over Stars.

“I have good players; of course there’s always a march towards progression, but where we really have to help them is mentally. It’s helping them understand how they can manage the pressure and these types of games. If you look at the differences between the first and second half, it’s the same players but different performances,” he explained.

Ouaddou suggested that he might seek a psychologist’s help to ensure his players are ready for the challenge ahead.

“I hope I can help them as a coach, but maybe we may need a sports psychologist to go a little bit deeper because I’m not a psychologist,” concluded the Moroccan.