Orlando Pirates head coach Abdeslam Ouaddou has broken silence after joining the club, replacing Jose Riveiro.
Pirates' decision to appoint Abdeslam Ouaddou has raised eyebrows, particularly given the high standards set by his predecessor, Jose Riveiro.
Riveiro delivered an impressive five trophies in just three seasons and consistently secured a second-place finish in the Betway Premiership, leading many to expect another high-profile coach at Mayfair.
Ouaddou's coaching resume, however, appears modest in comparison. His head coaching career only began five years ago with a brief four-month stint at Mouloudia Oujda, a Moroccan second-division side.
With a mere 12 PSL games of experience, there are naturally doubts about his suitability for such a demanding role at a club with Pirates' stature and ambitions. His appointment is a clear departure from what was widely anticipated.
Ouaddou has thanked the club for believing in him and Pirates faithful for the warm welcome.
OUADDOU GRATEFUL FOR BEING TRUSTED BY PIRATES
“I’d like to thank the board, the fans for the warm welcome, the staff as well, I’m honoured to be part of this institution,” he said in an interview with Pirates TV.
“It’s a club, but for it’s an institution, when I see the fantastic organisation of the club, we can really say it’s an institution.”
When asked to compare Orlando Pirates to his former club Marumo Gallants, Ouaddou was candid about the significant gap between the two clubs.
He pointed out that there's a considerable difference in terms of professionalism and various other aspects, suggesting Pirates operates on a distinctly higher level.
OUADDOU ON DIFFERENCE BETWEEN GALLANTS AND PIRATES
“I will try to speak honestly and respect the brand, the football, and the fans as well, there is world between the organisation, the professionalism, the vision as well, I can say in Marumo Gallants, I had a good time, fantastic behaviour, mentality of players,” he said about the difference between Gallants and Pirates.
“Nice people, fantastic fans as well, the fans [in Bloemfontein] fantastic, very friendly people, so I appreciated a lot. But if we compare the two clubs, it’s too far away, the way I reach… or scouted by Pirates, I was very surprised.
“I can tell you Pirates are in the future, very advanced about how they are seeing football, how they are managing the club, I can tell the fans, those who love Orlando Pirates are lucky to have such people looking after the club.”
He added: “I played in England and France, I’m not sure if I have seen the way this people are managing the club, getting exactly what they want, the board saw me four or five times before taking a decision – they don’t take anyone just like that.
“There’s a lot of criteria, and when you past the first criteria, they have another one, when you finish, they have a second, and third – there’s a fourth one, we can say that the most important things will be results, when you coming to such a big club, there’s a brand.
“We are in a five-year process, we are at the end of the three years now, people need trophies and results now. When I put my foot here at Pirates, I’m not crazy, I know where I am putting my feet. The board knows what they want…”
