Exhausted Abdeslam Ouaddou drops tense future bombshell after Orlando Pirates' historic triumph
BETWAY PREMIERSHIP
Orlando Pirates head coach Abdeslam Ouaddou celebrates with his staff after winning the Betway Premiership.
Image: Backpagepix
An emotional Orlando Pirates head coach Abdeslam Ouaddou has admitted that while he is utterly overjoyed with the team’s monumental success, the gruelling domestic season has taken a heavy psychological toll on him — which is precisely why he requires immediate time to reflect on his future and hold urgent discussions with club management.
Pirates officially returned to the absolute summit of South African football on Saturday afternoon after defeating Orbit College 2–0 through unfortunate own goals from Sabelo Nkomo and Ndumiso Ngiba to dramatically lift the Betway Premiership title.
The Buccaneers enjoyed a thoroughly memorable campaign, successfully completing an historic domestic treble after earlier lifting the MTN8 and Carling Knockout trophies.
While the staggering success belongs to everyone within the club's structures, the lion's share of the credit has rightfully been directed at Ouaddou.
The Moroccan tactician has masterfully transformed a highly talented squad into a ruthless winning machine through meticulous attention to detail, instilling a relentless hunger, and building a powerful sense of brotherhood within the camp.
As a direct result, several key individuals thrived under his expert leadership. Oswin Appollis enjoyed a true breakthrough campaign, wunderkind Relebohile Mofokeng reached dazzling new heights, and goalkeeper Sipho Chaine set an historic new PSL record by keeping an astonishing 21 clean sheets across the 30-game league season.
Speaking to SABC Sport immediately after the final whistle at a jubilant Mbombela Stadium, Ouaddou credited the success to the entire club while candidly admitting that his long-term future remains shrouded in uncertainty.
“I work with passion. I work with love,” an exhausted Ouaddou stated.
“It’s very difficult to lead such a massive club such as Orlando Pirates. It was a very, very difficult season. I am tired. I am very tired. To be able to steer such a massive ship, you need to be entirely fit. I will sit, think, and discuss with the management as well. I am tired. I am very tired.
“About next season, we will speak about what can happen. I need energy. I need power. Without energy, it will be incredibly difficult to continue down this path. We’ll sit down. I am speaking with pure emotion right now. It was a long season with a massive volume of pressure. We’ll speak and see.”
Should the Moroccan mastermind ultimately decide to walk away from the club, he would by no means be the first title-winning Pirates coach to abruptly depart following silver-laden success. Legendary tactician Ruud Krol famously left the club after winning the treble during the 2010/11 campaign, while both Julio Leal and Augusto Palacios exited the exit door following the club’s subsequent treble-winning 2011/12 season.