Orlando Pirates head coach Abdeslam Ouaddou praised forward Patrick ‘Tito’ Maswanganyi after his excellent form has helped the Buccaneers in their bid to beat Mamelodi Sundowns to the Betway Premiership title.
Pirates’ Maswanganyi on song
Playing in the number 10 role behind Evidence Makgopa, Maswanganyi grabbed the opener in Pirates’ 3-0 win at Magesi FC on Saturday.
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The victory lifted the Buccaneers to within three points of Sundowns at the top of the table. ‘Tito’ had lost his place in the Pirates starting line up but has bounced back with two goals and an assist in Pirates’ last two games.
“I think it’s fantastic for first of all for him and … for the club,” said Ouaddou.
“When you play that position, I think it’s what we expect from him. I’m very proud of him. I think he has tried to find now his feet … the beginning of the season maybe the way that I wanted to play, it was a little bit high intensity.
“But now he gets it … he knows exactly the expectation, especially in the position that he’s playing. He can score, he can deliver assists.
“He helped the team too much in the control of the ball, especially in the heart of the game. It’s very important to have this kind of player.”
In their own hands
The Buccaneers have a game in hand on Sundowns, and will know exactly what they have to do in their last two matches, as Sundowns finish off their Premiership season at TS Galaxy this evening.
Pirates will then play Durban City at home on Saturday and ORBIT College away on May 23.
It is unfortunate that the two sides, in such a heated title race, cannot play their last fixture at the same time. But Sundowns are playing in the Caf Champions League final against FAR Rabat over the next two weekends.
Ouaddou, meanwhile, was also delighted for goalkeeper Sipho Chaine after he broke a Premiership record as he kept a 19th clean sheet on Saturday.
“He is one of the best goalkeepers in Africa, not only in this country. He is up there with Ronwen Williams and Brandon Petersen,” said Ouaddou.
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“He has been a great goalkeeper for us, he has a lot of experience, he talks to his teammates, he is one of our captains on the pitch.”
