Abdeslam Ouaddou Told Why He Needs to Do More Despite Leading Pirates to MTN8 Title

• Orlando Pirates head coach Abdeslam Ouaddou has secured his first trophy as the Sea Robbers' manager after winning the MTN8.title
• The Moroccan coach guided his Pirates team past Stellenbosch FC in the final this weekend
• A sports journalist, speaking to Briefly News, explained why the former English Premier League star still needs to achieve more.

Orlando Pirates coach Abdeslam Ouaddou has been told that, despite leading the team to the 2025 MTN8 title, there is still more work to be done.

The Moroccan tactician was appointed as the Bucs' new coach this summer as a replacement for Jose Riviero, who decided to join Egyptian giants Al Ahly at the end of last season.

The former Marumo Gallants head coach faced criticism when he first joined the Soweto giants after losing the opening fixtures in the league against Gallants and Sekhukhune United.

The former Fulham midfielder has now turned around the poor start and has guided the Buccaneers to MTN8 triumph.

Despite winning the competition, a sports journalist has downplayed the success as being a normal thing for the Bucs to win the MTN8 title, while advising him not to celebrate too much.

Why Ouaddou needs to do more

Sports journalist Uche Anuma, in an exclusive chat with Briefly News, shared his thoughts on Orlando Pirates’ win over Stellenbosch FC in the MTN8 final on Saturday, September 13, 2025.

He congratulated Ouaddou for winning his first trophy as the Sea Robbers’ coach and also hailed him for the tactical substitutions he made that led to the goals.

"Ouaddou has made most of us who criticised him from the start eat our words, as he's proving with positive results that he's the man for the job," he said.

"It was a beautiful final, and the best team won. The Stellies also put in a good shift, but Orlando Pirates edged them in all aspects of the match.

"The tactical substitution by Ouaddou in extra time was top-notch. He noticed Evidence Makgopa, Oswin Appollis, and Relebohile Mofokeng all gave Stellenbosch FC’s backline serious problems, and the fresh legs just came in to finish the job."

Anuma then offered some truth in the form of advice, telling the Moroccan mentor not to celebrate winning the MTN8 too much, as there are bigger tasks ahead.

"Ouaddou did a nice job by winning the MTN8, but I don't think it's something special or top of the list for the club board and the supporters, as they've celebrated winning this same competition for the past four seasons," he added.

"The club fans and board need more than just the cup triumphs. They want to dethrone Mamelodi Sundowns in the Betway Premiership and dominate Africa by winning the CAF Champions League.

"Ouaddou still has a bigger task ahead of him, and I understand that you can only conquer what's in front of you."

Ouaddou reacts after Pirates' win

Briefly News also reported that Oauddou shared his thoughts on Pirates' win over Stellenbosch FC in the MTN8 final.

The Moroccan mentor remained humble despite leading his team to victory.

Source: Briefly News