Ouaddou Challenges Pirates Legends To Take Over Training
Orlando Pirates coach Abdeslam Ouaddou has hit back at former club legends who criticised his style of play, particularly his stance against showboating.
Ouaddou has made it clear that he does not want his players to engage in showboating, going as far as saying he would rather leave the club if his players adopted such an approach.
His comments drew criticism from sections of the football fraternity, including former Pirates legends. Ouaddou, however, has responded to his critics by inviting the club’s former stars to attend a Pirates training session and see for themselves what he and his players are working on.
“I heard some ex-coaches from Pirates, some legends, saying that Coach Wadu cannot come here to teach us football,” said Ouaddou after Pirates’ 2-0 Betway Premiership victory over Marumo Gallants at Royal Bafokeng Stadium on Sunday.
“I don’t teach football to anybody. I’m very humble. I respect the culture. I respect this fantastic country. I like it. I love it. I love South Africa. I love these people. But these people who were ex-coaches have to understand that I am here for a mandate. I am here to get results. I am here to take the best for my team and to win games.”
The victory moved Pirates to within one point of league leaders Mamelodi Sundowns at the top of the Betway Premiership standings, with the Buccaneers on 19 points after seven matches.
“There is a difference between skills to play forward, to score goals, to be efficient, and entertainment. Entertainment is not for me. So I think they have to be careful because we have to work together.
“You know, these ex-legends who think they are working with us, they have to work with us. They have to help the coach. They have to help the team and not speak on the side like that because it doesn’t help the team,” he continued.
“I’m training a professional football team. I’m training a huge club in Africa. I’m training Pirates, a very big institution on the continent. So we want to keep our range in Africa, scoring goals, being consistent, and I think the message is clear.
“The coach is not here to teach or to give a lesson to anybody. So the message has to be a bit clear. I’m not here to fight people. I am really happy to be at Pirates. I am honoured to be the coach of one of the biggest clubs in Africa.”
Ouaddou continued: “When we want to work together as an institution, they have to come and help the coach because the people who speak when we lose one or two games are the first ones coming to the media to say the coach must be fired. So it’s not good. They have to help us.
“So we don’t have to let these people kill the ambition, kill the passion of a coach who comes here and loves the country. Because it’s easy to speak, and they can come.
“I am happy to bring these ex-legends. They can come for one week of training. I’m happy to see what they are going to do. I give them the result, I give them the tracksuit, and they can come on the bench, and we are going to see if it’s easy for them.”
