Ouaddou on why he won’t take more risks at Pirates – ‘I don’t want bodyguards around me’

Orlando Pirates coach Abdeslam Ouaddou has made it clear he will not be taking any chances with his team selection, stating he is “not here to give flowers” and risk his job by fielding weakened sides.

Speaking after a tense 2-1 MTN8 quarter-final victory over Durban City at Orlando Amstel Arena on Saturday, Ouaddou justified his decision to start a full-strength lineup.

The Buccaneers were pushed to extra time by the visitors, who impressively held their own despite being reduced to nine men after Brooklyn Poggenpoel’s red card in the 35th minute.

Pirates coach fielded strong team for MTN8

The former Fulham defender made only a single alteration from the team that faced Milford FC in their Betway Premiership opener. Nkosikhona Ndaba came in for Deon Hotto at left-back, but the core of the squad, featuring key players like goalkeeper Sipho Chaine, Tshepang Moremi, Oswin Appollis, Nkosinathi Sibisi and Patrick Maswanganyi remained intact.

Ouaddou referenced a difficult start to the previous season, where back-to-back league defeats left him requiring a security detail amid intense fan pressure. The former Morocco international explained that this experience solidified his resolve to always select his best players for every match, regardless of the competition.

“I’m not here to give flowers to people; we are not in a circus. We are in a professional ecosystem. There are a lot of expectations,” Ouaddou told the media as quoted by FARPost.

Ouaddou recalls tense start of last season

He continued, recalling the turbulent period from last year. “If you want me to remind you of my first two games last season, you think that I was happy to have eight bodyguards around me? So I want to win, I want to win games.”

𝗢𝘂𝗮𝗱𝗱𝗼𝘂: 𝗡𝗼 𝗡𝗲𝗲𝗱 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗘𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗕𝗼𝗱𝘆𝗴𝘂𝗮𝗿𝗱𝘀 𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗧𝗶𝗺𝗲

⚽🏆Orlando Pirates coach Abdeslam Ouaddou is pleased with his side’s positive start to the 2026/27 season, with the Buccaneers winning both their league and cup fixtures.

The Moroccan… pic.twitter.com/goREk05puE

— Tromps Mothowagae دانيال (@DanieMothowagae) August 8, 2026

The coach emphasised the high stakes involved, particularly in a knockout tournament like the MTN8. “Of course, I want to put the strongest team because there are a lot of expectations. The fans want to win that competition, the club wants to win it. It’s not easy,” he said.

“I want to win it as well. So I need to put a strong team, the guys who deserve to play because they show it in training, they show it in the preparation. There is nothing guaranteed, and it’s how we push the players to have competition.”