"It's good to have one more striker that's able to score, it's very positive for his confidence," Ouaddou said.
Boitumelo Radiopane celebrates a goal during Betway Premiership 2026/27 match between Orlando Pirates and Sekhukhune United at Orlando Amstel Arena in Soweto on Tuesday. Photo: Phakamisa Lensman/Backpagepix
Orlando Pirates head coach Abdeslam Ouaddou has revealed his conversation with Boitumelo Radiopane ahead of the clash against Sekhukhune United.
Radiopane scored the opener for the Buccaneers as they beat Babina Noko 2-0 in a Betway Premiership clash at the Orlando Amstel Arena on Tuesday. Oswin Appollis netted the second goal for Pirates.
The win saw the Buccaneers open a three-point gap between them and second-placed Kaizer Chiefs, who will face Richards Bay at the Princess Magogo Stadium tonight.
“I told him, I told him that from yesterday that he’s going to start. And I told him that there are some games you have to take your chance, for me he took his chance, it’s good to have one more striker that’s able to score, it’s very positive for his confidence,” Ouaddou told SuperSport TV.
“I think this boy has everything to be successful, he has the profile to be the true striker so I’m very happy for him to score today, let’s hope that he is going to keep going, to keep this spirit and maybe to score more goals,” he added.
‘They were spot on’
Having met Sekhukhune in an MTN8 clash few days before Wednesday’s game, Ouaddou admitted that it was not easy to face the same opponents again.
“It’s not easy to play a team two times in a row. We had a very difficult first half, and I think the opponent came to press us. They were very tight, aggressive, we didn’t manage to find the free space, free man to come out with the ball to play the game that we want,” said Ouaddou.
“I think they were spot-on that side, but at least what’s positive it is in the worst moment even we are not so beautiful, we have to say it, we managed to score and we tried to show some clips at halftime just to make some adjustments without making substitutions and it was slightly, slightly better in the second half but I want to keep this three points.”
Ouaddou will be looking to make it three wins in a row when the sides meet for the third time in a space of seven day. This time, the teams will face each other in the second leg of the MTN8 semifinal at the Orlando Amstel Arena on Saturday (kick-off is at 3pm).
