Orlando Pirates coach Abdeslam Ouaddou has admitted that a tactical decision he made during Saturday's Soweto Derby almost cost his team the match against Kaizer Chiefs.

The Buccaneers went on to win 2-1 in front of a sold-out FNB Stadium, but Ouaddou was open about the fact that his first plan did not work. He said he tried to surprise Chiefs with a change in approach, and it quickly put his own side under pressure.

"I put my team in trouble, I could have cost the game as I tried to put a tactical surprise which I got wrong," Ouaddou said.

His honesty gives a clear picture of how difficult the opening part of the match was for Pirates, even though they ended up with all three points. The derby is one of the biggest fixtures in South African football, and a mistake in the plan can be costly in a game where the stakes and the expectations are so high.

Ouaddou said he was glad his technical team was able to fix the problem at half-time. Pirates changed their approach for the second half, and the team played better after the break. "But thanks God we managed to change things for the second half," he added.

The goals that decided the match came from Yanela Mbuthuma and Tshepang Moremi, and they gave Pirates bragging rights over their Soweto rivals. The win also took the Buccaneers to the top of the Betway Premiership table, which adds to its value as the club chases the league title.

For Ouaddou, the lesson is that a bold tactical idea can backfire, and that the ability to adjust quickly can be just as important as the original plan. Pirates struggled early, but they recovered well enough to leave the stadium with a win over Chiefs.

https://x.com/Lorenz_KO/status/2116569164399751243