Buc on track — Ouaddou survives Pirates roller coaster on road from ‘plumber’ to champion

Abdeslam Ouaddou’s start to life as Orlando Pirates coach has been a roller coaster. The Moroccan former professional footballer has endured highs and lows since his first official match in charge of the Sea Robbers.

Ouaddou lost his first two Premiership matches at the helm after replacing Spanish tactician José Riveiro. The latter was highly successful during his three-year stay in Orlando, as he reached six finals and won five of them. Anyone who succeeded him in the Pirates hot seat was going to be under immense pressure.

Despite being sceptical about Riveiro at first, the Pirates grew to love the Spaniard. They even went as far as naming him the “Spanish Guitar” because of his immense success – saying he helped the Buccaneers play a number of sweet notes.

Riveiro chose not to renew his contract when it expired, and he moved to Egyptian giants Al Ahly in May. He has since been sacked by the record 12-times African champions after a poor start to life in Cairo.

After Riveiro left, Pirates supporters dreamt of their team hiring a popular local coach such as Pitso Mosimane or Rulani Mokwena. Instead, the club hierarchy opted for Ouaddou.

The former defender-turned-tactician has represented teams such as Fulham and Rennes as a player, and earned more than 50 caps for his country.

As a coach, the Pirates job is Ouaddou’s biggest. In his short time as a senior head coach the 46-year-old has taken charge of teams such as the Democratic Republic of Congo’s AS Vita and South African side Marumo Gallants.

After losing his two Premiership matches at Pirates, murmurs that Ouaddou would undo Riveiro’s great work grew louder.

He was subjected to the same insults by supporters that Riveiro suffered after his appointment in 2022. Some South African soccer fans are not fond of the trend among Premier Soccer League (PSL) teams of hiring foreign coaches.

At some point, the term “plumber” began to be used for foreign coaches. The theory goes that such coaches do not find employment in their own countries or in leagues bigger than the PSL because they are professional plumbers who moonlight as coaches.

Upward trajectory

Since inserting itself into the South African soccer vocabulary, the term has come to be used to describe any coach who appears to be poor at the job. After his Premiership losses to Sekhukhune United and Gallants in August, it’s a label that has been plastered on Ouaddou’s back.

However, the coach has turned things around. Pirates won their three subsequent league matches. They beat Stellenbosch 1-0, and newcomers Orbit College by the same margin. Then they thrashed Chippa United 3-0 before the most recent international break.

Returning to action after the break, Ouaddou enjoyed his biggest high as Pirates coach. His team beat Stellenbosch 3-0 in the MTN8 final to clinch a fourth successive win in the knockout competition. The other three MTN8 victories came under Riveiro’s tutelage.  

Still a plumber?

Despite winning a trophy and earning respect from some of his detractors, Ouaddou remains humble.

“It doesn’t mean that I’m a better coach than I was two months ago. Maybe I’m still a plumber or carpenter for many people,” he said.

“The club has been winning this trophy for many years. So, for people it’s normal. But it’s not normal because you still need to perform.

“For me, it’s part of the process and I was not worried [about the doubters]. Football needs patience. When you come to a club that has 10 new players, you have to bring a new weapon for the team to be more dangerous.

“Sometimes it takes time and people don’t understand. Yes, we lost two games at the beginning of the season… It’s not like we didn’t deserve to win. But after two games, people wanted to fire the coach.”

The Pirates mentor took charge of the MTN8 final after a stay in hospital. Ahead of the final, he was sporting a cast on his right arm.

After their league clash against Chippa in Gqeberha on 31 August, Pirates came across an accident on the R21 highway.

Ouaddou and other staff members disembarked from the team bus to help people involved in the crash. While they were providing assistance, a vehicle collided with the stationary vehicles, striking the group and causing serious injuries.

This accident provided extra motivation heading into the final. But more than anything, the coach is grateful to be alive.

“It was very dangerous and I’m happy to be in front of you and back on the bench. Life is short sometimes. We were lucky and we thank God,” Ouaddou said.

Hungry for more

In his press conferences, Ouaddou has hinted that the Sea Robbers’ hierarchy has mandated him to win the Premiership and/or the African Champions League. The league title, in particular, is coveted in Orlando. It last went to the Buccaneers in 2012.

The hope is that Pirates can build on their MTN8 success to propel themselves to Premiership glory, especially with Mamelodi Sundowns, so far this season, not showing the ferocious form they have built over the past decade.  

Pirates striker Tshegofatso Mabasa told SuperSport TV: “We started slow in the league. But this [the MTN8 success] can only help us improve our league form.

“Hopefully we can go all the way this season and fix our wrongs from the past few seasons. It’s about time we lift the league and this is the season for it.”

If Ouaddou is able to mastermind a coup against the perennially dominant Sundowns, his name will forever be etched in South African soccer folklore. The tribulations he has experienced thus far would be great chapters in that story. DM

This story first appeared in our weekly Daily Maverick 168 newspaper, which is available countrywide for R35.