Orlando Pirates head coach Abdeslam Ouaddou conceded that Mamelodi Sundowns were more clinical than his side following their loss at the FNB Stadium.

The Buccaneers’ 14-match unbeaten run in the Betway Premiership came to an end after their 2-1 defeat to Sundowns in Johannesburg.

The defeat sees Pirates remain at the top of the Betway Premiership standings with 38 points from 17 matches.

Pirates will look to bounce back and return to winning ways when they take on Casric Stars in the Nedbank Cup on Saturday.

“I think we had two halves, one where we wanted to be compact and to play on the transition and I think it worked,” Ouaddou told SuperSport TV after the game.

“It worked because we recovered a lot of balls and we created the most effective chances; unfortunately, we weren’t efficient in the first half.

“On the other hand, Mamelodi Sundowns had few chances and they were more efficient than us and it’s really hard to come at halftime with 2-0 and I think the boys did very well in the second half.”