Why Abdeslam Ouaddou’s Victory in Black Label Cup Is Rated Ahead of MTN8, Carling Knockout Cup Wins
- Abdeslam Ouaddou's success with Orlando Pirates continued this weekend as he led them to victory in the Black Label Cup final
- The Soweto giants came up against the selected best players in the Premier Soccer League from different clubs and won convincingly
- A football analyst, while chatting with Briefly News, rated the Sea Robbers' victory in the Carling Black Label Cup higher than the two previous titles they won this campaign
Moroccan coach Abdeslam Ouaddou guided Orlando Pirates to their third title this season after the Sea Robbers defeated Carling All Stars in the Carling Black Label final on Saturday, December 13, 2025.
Source: Twitter
The former Fulham midfielder was brought in as Jose Riveiro's replacement in the summer by the Buccaneers. He won his first trophy earlier this season when they defeated Stellenbosch FC in the MTN8 final.
The second title came when Ouaddou led the Soweto giants to victory over his former club, Marumo Gallants, in the final of the Carling Knockout Cup on Saturday, December 6, 2025.
Victories in three successive finals have put Ouaddou in the spotlight as he's expected to lead the club to the Betway Premiership title this season.
Ouaddou's victory in Black Label rated high
Football analyst Uche Anuma, during an exclusive chat with Briefly News, commented on Orlando Pirates' triumph in the Carling Black Label Cup this weekend.
He explained why winning the Black Label Cup should be rated higher than the other two trophies they won this season.
"Winning the MTN8 and the Carling Knockout Cup are amazing, but the situation around winning the Black Label Cup makes his more special for Pirates under Ouaddou," he said. "They were playing against some of the best players in the Premier Soccer League, and they broke the jinx of teams winning the Carling Knockout Cup but losing in this final."
"Another reason this one was special was the ability to make use of fringe players to achieve this success. Nine first-team players are with the Bafana Bafana, and six players who started last week’s final were not there against the All Stars."
"The win gives Ouaddou more confidence that he can trust his bench, and also players from the Diski Development Challenge league."
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Anuma also shared his opinion on Orlando Pirates ending Mamelodi Sundowns' dominance in the Betway Premiership this season.
"I said at the beginning of the season that Mamelodi Sundowns, Orlando Pirates, and Kaizer Chiefs are the favourites to win the league, but now I think the Sea Robbers have all it takes to end Sundowns' dominance in the league," he added.
"It's been a long time coming for Orlando Pirates, and they are doing well in the league presently despite a poor start. They can go all out and make their supporters proud, and also, the league needs a new winner."
Ouaddou shares what he told Mbokazi
Briefly News also reported that Ouaddou shared what he told Mbekelezi Mbokazi ahead of Orlando Pirates' clash with Marumo Gallants in the Carling Knockout Cup final.
The Moroccan tactician gave solid advice to the South African centre back as he was playing his last match for Orlando Pirates before leaving for the Major League Soccer.
Source: Briefly News
