Orlando Pirates coach explains how early season losses shaped current success

Orlando Pirates coach Abdeslam Ouaddou is grateful that his team started their season poorly as he believes the early struggles shaped the success that they have enjoyed so far.

Pirates have won two trophies in three months after adding the elusive Carling Knockout to the MTN8 won in September with the season just reaching its halfway mark.

However, few would have predicted this after their second match of the season. Pirates had started the 2025-26 campaign with a 2-0 win over Polokwane City in the MTN8 quarter-final but when the PSL kicked off, they lost 1-0 to Sekhukhune United before a 2-1 defeat to Marumo Gallants.

That saw Ouaddou heavily criticised as his team was struggling to get to grips with his methods while he made it hard for himself by trying to fit in most of his new signings and casting aside some of those that had impressed before he arrived.

However, the Buccaneers would soon find their mojo and since that loss to Gallants on August 12, they have lost just one game, in a 21-match period when they won 19 and drew just two, winning two trophies while moving top of the PSL table.

Ouaddou admits to early pressure

“Yes [losing those two matches played a role in a turnaround] because when you lose to games in a big club, there’s straight away a fire in the house,” Ouaddou said as quoted by iDiski Times.

“You always need to find solutions. And I won’t lie to you and say I didn’t feel the pressure. But I still feel the pressure in all the games.

“When you don’t feel the pressure, you need to stop that job. This positive pressure helps one to deliver a performance and to be better and better.

“But on the other hand, I had 10 new players that needed to get my ideas and my game model. I think the guys did well, because quickly they got the ideas and they know the expectations,” he added.

Ouaddou feels that bad spell fueled the good run currently being witnessed and he is thankful to his Pirates bosses that they did not panic and look to replace him.

Pirates coach grateful Bucs bosses

“I’m happy with how they [Pirates management] reacted because it helped us to have some results,” he added.

“What’s important is the trust and I’m very lucky because I’m in the club managed by professional people. Their people think football, they have a vision, have a project and they know what target they want to reach.

“I’m happy because they knew that the two games lost was part of the process and they gave me time. At some clubs, they don’t give you time, you lose two games, you’re out.

“We’re still in the process and for us it will be important to keep working and be humble, keep the straight path in order to reach our targets.”

Pirates end 2025 with the two trophies and a place at the top of the PSL table, enjoying a two-point lead over perennial champions Mamelodi Sundowns, having accumulated 28 points from 12 matches, with the Brazilians on 26 from 13 games.