Orlando Pirates coach Abdeslam Ouaddou has made a remarkably honest admission: his own tactical decisions nearly cost his team the Soweto Derby, despite securing a dramatic 2–1 victory over Kaizer Chiefs at FNB Stadium.

Ouaddou revealed he had gambled with an experimental setup — deploying Deon Hotto at right-back as a surprise move — but the plan backfired badly. “I tried to surprise the opponent with choices that were not spot on,” he confessed. “I think coach Ouaddou put his team in trouble in the first half. I could have cost the game.”

The match unfolded exactly as he feared. Yanela Mbuthuma gave Pirates an early lead, but the reshuffled defensive structure struggled, and Pule Mmodi equalised just six minutes later, leaving the game deadlocked at 1–1 by half-time. Ouaddou acted decisively during the interval, making tactical adjustments and rotating players to restore balance. The changes worked: Pirates steadied and Tshepang Moremi struck the winner after the break.

The frank admission stood out in a fixture usually defined by posturing. Ouaddou accepted full accountability rather than deflecting blame, crediting his players for digging him out of a hole. “Thank God we went into half-time level,” he said. “It was time to fix things — and the boys delivered.”

The result lifts Pirates to the Betway Premiership summit, but their coach knows it could easily have gone the other way. “Honesty first,” he reflected. “We won, but we also learned a hard lesson.”

https://briefly.co.za/sports/football/257617-abdeslam-ouaddou-opens-tactical-error-orlando-pirates-soweto-derby-win-kaizer-chiefs/