Abdeslam Ouaddou coach of Orlando Pirates during the Betway Premiership 2025/26 Orlando Pirates Media Day at the Rand Stadium in Johannesburg on the 16 February 2026 ©Sydney Mahlangu BackpagePix
Tuesday Feb 17, 2026. 12:47
Orlando Pirates head coach Abdeslam Ouaddou has stated that his side are rearing to go ahead of their top-of-the-table Betway Premiership clash with reigning champions Mamelodi Sundowns at the FNB Stadium on Wednesday.
After a disappointing start to the season which saw them fall in their first two league games, the Buccaneers have remained undefeated in all competitions aside from the CAF Champions League, where they crashed out in the second preliminary round against Saint-Éloi Lupopo after losing the first leg 3-0 in Lubumbashi and falling on penalties at home after equaling the score on aggregate.
The Soweto giants have not lost a match since October – and since August in the league – and sit atop the Betway Premiership with 38 points.
Ouaddou made clear that his players are chomping at the bit ahead of what could prove to be a season-defining clash.
“My players are ready. I think there is a lot of trust, a lot of confidence, a lot of unity as well. Something that talks to us, something that is with us since the beginning of the season,” Ouaddou said, speaking at Pirates’ media day on Monday.
The former Moroccan international highlighted the fixture as one of the biggest on the continent.
“We are really impatient to play these games. And you know that these kinds of games are special, special for the players, special for the coaches, special for the fans. You know that it’s one of the biggest Classicos in Africa. So you know that we are not talking about this kind of game only in South Africa. We are talking about that game in all the continent. So yeah, we are really looking forward to play that game.”
Sundowns are trailing the Buccaneers by six points but have a game in hand.
They head into the fixture off the back of an all-important 2-0 win over MC Alger, and the club’s former coach Rulani Mokwena, at Loftus Versfeld on Saturday which saw them clinch second place in group C of the CAF Champions League and advance to the quarterfinals.
Domestically, the Brazilians have disappointed this season by their own standards. Their wait for a domestic cup continues, as Pirates have claimed the 2025/26 MTN8 and Carling Knockout titles, leaving only the Nedbank Cup remaining. For the first time since 2019, the Brazilians were not at the top of the league standings at Christmas.
The two sides have met on three occasions already this season, all ending in 1-1 draws from open play. The Buccaneers have a slight advantage, having won on penalties in the second leg of their MTN8 semi-final in August.
Their league clash at Loftus in November also ended in a stalemate, but produced a goal-of-the-season contender from Pirates youngster Camren Dansin.
Ouaddou is not concerned with past results and insists that his team has improved since the last time the two clubs met.
“We worked in some areas since the beginning of the season, since we faced Mamelodi Sundowns, So what I can tell you is our team has improved a lot since we have played Mamelodi Sundowns,” he said.
Miguel Cardoso’s men will be looking to halt Pirates’ march towards the title and set themselves up to claim a ninth consecutive South African league title.
By Nic Gleeson