Orlando Pirates coach Abdelslam Waddu demands team's return to CAF Champions League group stage

Orlando Pirates head coach, Abdelslam Wadee, addressed his players with a call to develop physical endurance while maintaining adherence to the rules of the game. He warned the young squad that they need to quickly adapt to the high physical demands of matches, as the 'Bucaneers' prepare for the challenges that football in the CAF Champions League will bring.

These statements came after Pirates' 2-0 defeat to Mamelodi Sundowns in the final held at Moses Mabhida Stadium on Saturday. This loss denied the team its historic fifth consecutive title. This outcome raised questions about Pirates' ability to cope with the intensity and physical aspect of decisive encounters, and continental football requirements will be another test for the Soweto giants.

Similar remarks were made after last season's Soweto Derby match, which ended in a 1-1 draw and nearly derailed their race in the Betway Premiership.

Wadee admitted that his players must learn to react better in more physical games, but he stressed that aggressive competition should never come at the expense of fair play. He stated: 'We just need to answer these physical games. It might happen in the Champions League, and as I said, we have a young team, but they must understand this quickly.'

The Moroccan coach quickly clarified that he is not calling for dangerous tackles or tactics that put opponents at risk. Instead, he wants his players to become more competitive within established rules. He added: 'When I say answer these games, I mean answering within the rules of the game and playing football, not injuring players or breaking their legs; that is not my vision of football.'

Wadee used his own playing experience to distinguish between physical defense and reckless aggression. He recounted: 'I was a defender, and in my 17 years in football, I received one red card, and it was for protesting, not for violence.'

For Pirates, the current task is to translate this message into results when pressure mounts. Although the 'Bucaneers' are known for their attacking style, continental competition may require a different level of physical resilience, discipline, and game management. The defeat to Sundowns on Saturday was another lesson for the coach and his team. Their reaction in the coming weeks will determine how quickly they can turn these lessons into progress on the continental stage.

Croatian captain Luka Modric expressed hope that the fans would support the team during the upcoming match against world champions Spain, despite the heavy defeat to England.

On Saturday, Modric's team suffered a crushing 7-0 defeat to the England national team, managed by Thomas Tuchel, at home stadium Stadion HNK Rijeka in Rijeka, Croatia. After this match, the Milan midfielder admitted that he felt 'ashamed' for his team's performance.

As part of the Croatian National League, Croatia hosts Spain in Split in Group A3, aiming to rectify the situation. The Spanish national team, known as La Roja, aims to secure a spot in the quarterfinals.

The 41-year-old former Real Madrid player told reporters on Monday that the problem was not the fact of the defeat itself, but how it happened. He added: 'I hope the fans will support us as always, and that after the match they can judge our game. That is what we lack, so we hope for a positive reaction, because what happened hurts us more than anyone else.'

The atmosphere is expected to change. During the match against England, Croatia was serving a one-match ban due to fan racism, and the game was played in front of a small group of local children under 14 who were released from the ban, as well as several English supporters.

The rivalry with Spain, which won the World Cup for the second time in July and had not lost in 41 matches, presents a difficult task for Croatia under Slavko Plišic. Modric noted: 'Spain is the best team in the world. They are champions.' He also speculated on how Spain might view their defeat, emphasizing that what happened is not typical for their team. He stated that against the world's best team, they need to 'fix everything, be aggressive, and not give them too much space to find solutions.'

Earlier in the international break, Spain defeated Croatia 4-1 in Seville and has three wins in three games before this match.

Modric also mentioned that he has not yet decided how long he will represent his country. He explained that they are taking a 'game by game' approach and will decide whether he leaves the national team in a month or a year. It is important for him to be where he is happy, and he is ready to help at any time, both on and off the field. Plišic, who is leading Croatia for the second time in his career, believes that the meeting with the new world champions offers a quick chance for redemption. He said that the defeat to England was 'incredibly difficult' and would never be forgotten, but 'when there is fire, you have to react,' adding that despite the very strong opponent, this is their best opportunity.

Spanish coach Luis de la Fuente dismissed Croatia's heavy defeat to England as 'just an unfortunate incident in football,' stating that it does not reflect the difference in footballing ability between Croatia and England, but could motivate them.

Teenager Lamine Yamal is performing excellently for Spain in the first three group matches, scoring in each of them, including a brace against Croatia. The Spanish coach called him a 'role model and a natural competitor.'

Barcelona and Spain midfielder Dani Olmo developed as a young player at Dinamo Zagreb in Croatia, although De la Fuente did not use him in the Seville match. Olmo left Barcelona as a teenager to join Dinamo, and then returned to the Catalan giants in 2024 from RB Leipzig. He said he made this decision due to Dinamo's interest and the desire to help it grow, noting that it was one of the most difficult steps in his career.