Ouaddou: If Tito Listened To Me, Would Have Gone To The WC
Orlando Pirates coach Abdeslam Ouaddou believes Patrick Maswanganyi could have earned a place at the World Cup had he followed his advice and improved his training attitude last season.
Maswanganyi has brought his successful spell with the Buccaneers to an end after the club announced on Monday that the attacking midfielder had been sold to Bahrain Premier League side Alkhaldiya Sports Club.
The 28-year-old, widely known as Tito, leaves Pirates after making 120 appearances across all competitions, scoring 28 goals and providing 21 assists. During his time at the club, he also played an important role in a trophy-laden period, winning six major trophies.
Among his individual achievements was the PSL Players’ Player of the Season award in the 2023/24 campaign. He was also part of the Pirates team that secured a historic domestic treble last season.
Maswanganyi joined the Buccaneers in June 2023 from SuperSport United and quickly established himself as an important player in the squad. However, according to Ouaddou, the midfielder initially struggled to meet the standards he expected in training last season.
“We have huge respect for this player, for what he gave to the club and the titles that he won,” Ouaddou said.
“I think he’s a fantastic player, a gifted player that every coach wants to have in his team.
“I think we had a difficult moment last season because it took him a little bit of time to understand what I was expecting from him regarding his involvement in the game and in training.
“I was not happy with the way that he was training. I am happy that he came with fantastic behaviour on 24 June.
“Fantastic behaviour, fresh in every training session, and I think you guys have seen his potential at the beginning of the season.
“Of course, he’s very important, and I think if he had listened to me last season, he would have gone to the World Cup, definitely.”
The Pirates coach also warned Maswanganyi about the challenges that await him as he begins a new chapter abroad. Moving to Alkhaldiya represents another important step in the midfielder’s career, but Ouaddou believes he will need to deal with increased pressure and expectations at his new club.
“Now I just want to wish him really, really all the best for his new project,” he added.
“He’s going abroad. It’s not easy. He will have to be strong mentally, especially in that area, because I played close to that country.
“Even though there are no supporters like us here in South Africa, maybe the stadiums are empty there. I hope he finds joy there, but even without supporters like ours in South Africa, there is big, huge pressure from the club owners.
“They ask a lot from the players, especially professional players, because they have local players, and all the time they have maybe five players maximum, and there is huge, huge pressure on the players there.
“All the best for him, but of course, he’s somebody that I was very happy to work with, especially this season. Really, really. He was somebody important for us in the middle.”
