Coach Ouaddou ready to get Pirates rocking again

Abdeslam Ouaddou is fully aware of and embracing the huge burden of expectation at Orlando Pirates as he embarks on the daunting mission to knock Mamelodi Sundowns off their perch. 

The Brazilians have won the Premier Soccer League (PSL) title for eight successive seasons and Pirates have played the role of bridesmaids for the past three seasons. 

Ahead of his first PSL match as Pirates coach against Sekhukhune United at Orlando Stadium on Saturday (5.30pm), Ouaddou said expectations at the club were high.

The 46-year-old Moroccan started his tenure brightly with a convincing 2-0 MTN8 quarterfinal win against Polokwane City last weekend and they’ll be looking to maintain that momentum against Sekhukhune. 

“When you come to Orlando Pirates, the club has history. You must know how the club was built and how hard people have worked to reach the targets and level they set for themselves,” Ouaddou said. 

“Orlando Pirates is more than a club. In Spanish they say, Més que un club. There is a lot of expectation and everybody has to be fully focused and professional.

“The first thing the chair [Irvin Khoza] said was ‘your every step will be watched closely’, so we have to be professional and give our best in everything we do for the club.” 

Pirates have boosted their squad with Sihle Nduli, Sipho Mbule, Kamogelo Sebelebele, Yanela Mbuthuma, Tshepang Moremi, Sinoxolo Kwayiba, Masindi Nemtajela and Abdoulaye Mariko. 

Bucs will be battling on five fronts this season, including a return to the Champions League where they reached last season’s semifinals, so Ouaddou is happy to have depth in his squad. 

My task is to bring more competence and reach targets that are wanted by the club’s board and the fans. 

—  Abdeslam Ouaddou

“It is important to have the contribution of everyone. I always say you win the game with 11 players but to win competitions and league titles you need the group,” he said. 

“We have depth on the bench and my impact players are going to be important. You must have noticed I don’t use the word substitutes, I try to avoid the word and prefer to use 'impact players’.” 

Sundowns are expected to be strong again this season and Ouaddou said they are focused on the targets they have set themselves. 

“I came to Pirates not to change everything that is there. It is important to keep the legacy and things that worked for the previous coaches. My task is to bring more competence and reach targets that are wanted by the club’s board and the fans. 

“We are excited for the season and I believe we have quality players to reach our targets and we are going to fight hard for that.”