Orlando Pirates head coach Abdeslam Ouaddou has admitted that one of his tactical decisions during Saturday's Soweto Derby against Kaizer Chiefs did not work as planned.

The Pirates coach acknowledged that his decision to deploy experienced defender Deon Hotto at right-back was a mistake, as the adjustment failed to provide the attacking contribution he expected from that position.

The decision involved moving Deon Hotto from his usual left-back position to right-back, while Bulelani Sigomoshe was left out of the starting lineup. Ouaddou explained that he wanted to use Hotto's experience to deal with the threat from Chiefs on that side and protect the younger Sigomoshe.

However, the experiment failed to produce the desired outcome, with Pirates struggling to contain their opponents during the opening half. The coach accepted responsibility for the situation rather than blaming his players.

“I think this one I will take the blame, and this time I will not blame my players. We have to blame the coach for the first half. I got it wrong,” Ouaddou admitted.

He further explained that the decision was based on Hotto's experience and his ability to play in defensive positions, but acknowledged that the arrangement did not provide the attacking support the team needed.

“So, I decided to put an experienced guy there, but it didn’t work properly, and we didn’t have the depth, we didn’t have the runs in behind like \[Kamogelo\] Sebelebele can have, like a right full-back can have on that side.”

Pirates made adjustments during the interval, moving Hotto back to his familiar left-back position and changing other personnel. The changes helped the Buccaneers produce a stronger second-half performance.

Despite their difficult opening period, Pirates eventually secured a 2-1 victory. Yanela Mbuthuma and Tshepang Moremi scored for the Buccaneers, while Pule Mmodi found the net for Chiefs.

Ouaddou's admission highlights the tactical challenges he faced during the derby, but the victory ensured Pirates left the encounter with all three points.

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