Abdeslam Ouaddou wary of 'well-coached' Milford as cup tie looms

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Ouaddou aware of threat posed by Milford ahead of cup tie

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Abdeslam Ouaddou wary of 'well-coached' Milford as cup tie looms

Photo: Abdeslam Ouaddou

27.10.26 13:00 League Cup

Orlando Pirates

Milford FC

Orlando Pirates head coach Abdeslam Ouaddou is under no illusion about the threat posed by Milford FC ahead of their Carling Knockout Cup round of 16 clash at the Orlando Amstel Arena on Tuesday.

The Buccaneers commenced their 2026/27 campaign with a 2-0 victory over the newly promoted outfit in the Betway Premiership, with Oswin Appollis and Tshepang Moremi finding the back of the net.

However, the Stallions have since established themselves as a force to be reckoned with in the topflight division, as they are currently in fourth place with 15 points accumulated from nine league outings.

With the League Cup encounter on the horizon, Ouaddou is not taking Milford lightly and anticipates a tough assignment, reserving special praise for head coach Xanti Pupuma and his troops.

“I think the advantage and the positive point is to play at home. It's all the time an advantage in front of our fans, but after it will be a difficult game,” said the Pirates boss.

"If you remember when we played Milford in the first game of the season, I said many teams are not going to beat them, and they are showing it. So, I think they have a lot of confidence.

"It's a well-coached team, disciplined, very well organized, they can run as well. So, it will not be an easy game.

Notably, Milford have previously caused an upset by knocking out Kaizer Chiefs in the Nedbank Cup round of 32 in February 2024, before reaching the semi-final of the competition last season.

Whether Pirates will kickstart their title defense with a win at the expense of the KwaZulu-Natal club remains to be seen, with a lucrative spot in the quarterfinals on the line.

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Hlayisani Magoro

Editorfr, en

Football journalist from South Africa covering African football news, exclusive stories and key events while sharing insights with passionate fans of the game.