Orlando Pirates coach Abdeslam Ouaddou says his side had to fight hard to secure the win over Richards Bay to book their place in the final of the Carling Knockout Cup.

The Buccaneers claimed a hard-fought 1-0 win over the Natal Rich Boys through a 42nd-minute goal by Tshepang Moremi at the Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban.

Pirates have now secured their passage to the final, where they will face the winner of the match between Golden Arrows and Marumo Gallants on Sunday.

Ouaddou praised his side after they fought hard and showed character to endure a tough performance from Richards Bay.

“First of all, I’m proud of my boys. They played with bravery today,” Ouaddou told SuperSport TV.

“They were brave. It was not an easy game. We played against a very good team of Richards Bay with a good coach with good organisation.

“We knew they will fight till the end. Cup matches are about hard; it’s about team spirit. We saw today after playing three days ago against Golden Arrows it was not easy.

“But thanks to the fantastic fans of Durban, we’ve been received with top-top high level very warm welcome thanks to them. The hospitality here is tough.

“So, yeah it’s good that we’re through to the final.”