Orlando Pirates Coach Abdeslam Ouaddou Threatens to Quit After CAF Champions League Win
- Orlando Pirates head coach Abdeslam Ouaddou voiced serious displeasure with his players' attitude after their CAF Champions League victory over La Cure Waves
- Ouaddou warned that showboating in the second half cost the team several goals and directly threatened his future at the club
- Pirates will face African Stars of Namibia in the second preliminary round after the Namibian side's dramatic comeback against Mangasport
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Orlando Pirates coach Abdeslam Ouaddou issued a blunt ultimatum to his squad after Friday night's 3-1 win over La Cure Waves, threatening to resign if players continue prioritising showboating over scoring goals.
The result completed a 3-1 aggregate victory and confirmed Pirates' place in the second preliminary round of the CAF Champions League. However, the manner of the second half left Ouaddou visibly frustrated despite the comfortable scoreline.
Ouaddou praises response but criticises attitude
Orlando Pirates conceded an early goal, which coach Abdeslam Ouaddou viewed as an unexpected setback. The team responded quickly by finding an equaliser before taking control and extending their lead. However, Ouaddou was unhappy with the sharp drop in performance after half-time.
He felt the players became less disciplined once they gained control of the match, allowing the tempo and intensity to fall. Although Pirates created enough opportunities to have scored several more goals, their lack of seriousness in the second half frustrated the coach.
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Ouaddou was pleased with the way his players approached the opening 45 minutes. He highlighted their execution of specific patterns worked on in training, their ability to control the pace and, most importantly, their reaction to going behind early in the contest.
The coach praised the character shown in overcoming the early setback but believed the second-half display took away from many of the positives produced before the interval.
Ouaddou: 'I will pack my luggage'
The Moroccan-born coach made it clear that showboating goes against his core principles as a manager, warning that he would not tolerate such behaviour from his players.
Ouaddou stressed that his primary responsibility is to develop his players, demand their best performances and build a winning mentality. He made it clear that accepting unnecessary showboating would undermine those objectives and could even lead him to walk away from his coaching role.
He also emphasised his relentless desire for goals, explaining that he wants his team to remain hungry and continue pushing for more rather than becoming satisfied with a comfortable lead. In his view, settling for three goals could prevent Pirates from making a deep run in the competition.
Ouaddou further warned that any players unwilling to change their approach would have to do so without him as their coach, underlining just how strongly he feels about maintaining discipline and a results-driven mentality.
Pirates' next opponents will be African Stars of Namibia, who secured a dramatic comeback against Gabonese outfit Mangasport. After suffering a 3-1 defeat in the first leg, African Stars responded with a 2-0 home victory to progress on the away-goals rule.
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Source: Briefly News
