"We are going to bounce back, and you can count on us," said Ouaddou.
Abdeslami Ouaddou, Orlando Pirates head coach during the 2026 MTN8 Final match against Mamelodi Sundowns at Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban on Saturday. Photo: Muzi Ntombela/BackpagePix
As Orlando Pirates prepare for tonight’s Betway Premiership clash against TS Galaxy at the Orlando Amstel Arena, coach Abdeslam Ouaddou has vowed that his charges will bounce back from the weekend’s MTN8 defeat to Mamelodi Sundowns.
The Buccaneers missed the chance to secure a historic fifth consecutive MTN8 title after losing 2-0 to the Brazilians at Moses Mabhida Stadium on Saturday.
‘You can count on us’
Speaking ahead of this evening’s clash with the Rockets, Ouaddou said the disappointment could be a valuable learning experience as his team turns its attention to the remaining four competitions – the Carling Knockout, the Nedbank Cup, the Betway Premiership, and the CAF Champions League.
“We are disappointed, of course, not to take this fifth MTN Cup, especially for us, for the club, and for our fans,” Ouaddou said. “But there was a lot of education in that game for us, because I have quality players on my side.”
“We are going to bounce back, and you can count on us, on Pirates, to be ready for the next games,” added the Moroccan.
Pirates recorded an emphatic league double over Galaxy last season, winning 2-0 at home before handing The Rockets a 6-0 drubbing in Mbombela Stadium.
That victory extended the Buccaneers’ unbeaten run in the fixture to four games, in which they have claimed three wins and failed to secure maximum points only once.
The Rockets’ last victory dates back to May 2024, when a solitary strike in the second half handed them the spoils.
‘The guys are ready’
Galaxy winger Seluleko Mahlambi is confident that his team can get the better of Pirates and get their season back on track.
“I think this is an important game for us since we don’t have that many points. I think the guys are ready with everything we’ve been doing since the week began,” said Mahlambi.
The side from Mpumalanga has only registered one win in the seven games played so far, and they are 12th on the log table with six points.
Pirates are second with 19 points after the same number of games as Galaxy.
