Ouaddou outlines Pirates’ recipe for success as he eyes title defence

Orlando Pirates coach Abdeslam Ouaddou has reflected on the key ingredients that led the Buccaneers to success in his first season with the club, as he prepares for the upcoming campaign.

Pirates ended a 14-year league title drought, dethroning Mamelodi Sundowns to claim the Betway Premiership. This triumph completed a remarkable treble, following earlier victories in the MTN8 and Carling Knockout competitions.

The 2023/24 season was statistically the best in the Soweto giants’ history since the NSL’s inception in 1985, with the team amassing a record 69 points. Their league campaign was also marked by an impressive 58 goals scored—the most since the PSL adopted a 16-team format—and a record-low 12 goals conceded.

Ouaddou reveals success formula

This success was achieved amidst the high-pressure environment that comes with being part of the coaching staff at a club like Pirates. Ouaddou identified player trust as a critical component of their achievements.

“There are a lot of factors that I think are important to say,” Ouaddou stated as quoted by KickOff. “Firstly, the confidence of the players is important when you have a new coach coming with a new game model.”

He explained that implementing a new philosophy takes time and requires buy-in from the squad.

Pirates coach on how to keep going

“It takes some time to be implemented, so I think the trust of the players is very important because you need that,” he continued.

“To follow your path, they need to understand you. I think the time and the results have given us some answers to our questions, and we won the title, the MTN8, and the Carling Cup.”

Ouaddou believes the silverware was the ultimate validation for the team’s hard work and dedication.

“For me, they are the best answer for the players. If we are committed to our job every morning, every training, doing the right things, taking care of our lifestyle… that defines the professionalism of a player. There is training on the pitch, but there is also the ‘invisible training’ off it. If we continue like that with the trust, we will be able to keep going,” he concluded.