‘Ouaddou just doesn’t kiss anybody!’ Ncikazi opens up on relationship with Pirates coach

Orlando Pirates coach Abdeslam ouaddou has settled well at the club, and is now odds on to win several domestic competitions.

The former Morocco internationsl has already secured the MTN8 with the Soweto giants and is in the final of the Carling Knockout. The Buccanners have also collected 22 points in the nine Premier Soccer League games, putting them second on the table, just three points behind the defending champions Mamelodi Sundowns who have played two more matches.

Pirates are also in the race for the Nedbank Cup where they reached the final last season before falling against old rivals Kaizer Chiefs.

All this has been made possible with the good relationship between the technical team and the playing unit. Assistant coach Mandla Ncikazi has opened up on the personality of the former Marumo Gallants coach.

Ouaddou is a great human being

“Football and sports reflect the society that we come from; One thing that I’ve picked up from him is that he’s a great human being. He understands that he is an African, and he respects African people,” he said as quoted by the Sowetan.

“There is his statement where he said he’d use the expertise that he found at the club. Very few coaches do that; we don’t trust each other … we are also scared to be stabbed in the back. Only a confident and a good human being can do that.

“I appreciate him for recognising the people who were already at the club before he arrived; that says a lot about him. Normally, it doesn’t happen that way.

“The relationship I have with him just explains him. He says, ‘I don’t kiss anybody; I only kiss people that are close to me.’ That is a sign that whatever we do together [is great],” Ncikazi concluded.