‘It’s not over yet,’ Ouaddou warns Orlando Pirates

Orlando Pirates head coach Abdeslam Ouaddou has cautioned his team that they are only halfway towards their goal of advancing to the group stages of the CAF Champions League. The Buccaneers secured a 1-0 victory over African Stars of Namibia in the second preliminary-round first leg match, played at the Botswana National Stadium on Saturday.

Tshepang Moremi scored the decisive goal in the second half, giving the Buccaneers an edge heading into the return leg at the Orlando Amstel Arena on Friday. Despite their advantage, Ouaddou emphasized that the tie is not over yet. "I cannot say we have one foot in the group stages; we still have an important second half there, and we will have to prepare for this to qualify for the group stages," he stated after the game.

The coach highlighted the importance of the upcoming match for both the club, the technical team, and the players. Ouaddou also addressed the expectations of a physically demanding game against the Namibian champions, stating that despite the challenge, they were mentally prepared for the heat. "We don't care about the weather; it can be 40 degrees, it can be -10.

We are going there to get results and to go through the next group stages." The winner of the tie will advance to the group stage of the CAF Champions League.