In the wake of delivering his first trophy as Orlando Pirates coach barely three months into the job, Abdeslam Ouaddou has emphasised that he was never worried when results weren’t forthcoming early in the season and when many people started to doubt him.
The 43-year-old Ouaddou won his first cup as Pirates coach in his first attempt at the weekend, thumping Stellenbosch 3-0 in extra time in the MTN8 final at Mbombela Stadium. The Moroccan coach joined Pirates in July, replacing Jose Riveiro.
Tshepang Moremi came off the bench to net a brace, while another substitute, Tshegofatso Mabasa, also registered his name on the scoreboard.
“I wasn’t worried [when results were eluding them]. Maybe people were worried and had lots of doubts about the coach [referring to himself], but like I said, football needs patience sometimes,” Ouaddou told a press conference after the final.
Maybe people were worried and had lots of doubts about the coach [referring to himself], but like I said, football needs patience sometimes,
— Abdeslam Ouaddou, Orlando Pirates coach
“When you come to a club with 10 new players and you need to implement a philosophy as well - I don’t want to say philosophy because Jose did a very good job before - so it was important to keep the legacy but [also] make the team more dangerous.”
The Moroccan, alongside five other team members, was involved in a road traffic accident a fortnight ago on the R21 near the OR Tambo International Airport. Some of the Pirates members involved in that accident such as defender Tapelo Xoki and goalkeeper coach Tyron Damons, among others, hadn’t yet returned to work before the final. Ouaddou dedicated the Wafa Wafa victory to his staff who were affected by the accident.
“It was tough for my goalkeeper coach [Damons], who’s not with us, he’s at home and I dedicate this victory to him and also to Tapelo, my central defender, as well as the team manager, Kabunda [whose full name Sowetan was unable to ascertain]. It’s a huge victory for them and for the fans,” Ouaddou said.
“It [the accident] was very dangerous and I am happy to speak to you and be in front of you and be on the bench today because life is short sometimes. We’re just lucky [to be alive] and we thank God.”
Pirates’ next game is the CAF Champions League first preliminary round first leg against Lioli of Lesotho at Free State Stadium on Saturday (3pm).
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