Abdeslam Ouaddou Hails Orlando Pirates Star As the Future of South African Football
- Orlando Pirates coach Abdeslam Ouaddou responded to defender Lebone Seema's first senior Bafana Bafana call-up under Pitso Mosimane
- The 23-year-old South African defender was selected as part of a 30-man squad for upcoming AFCON qualifiers and a friendly against Egypt
- The Moroccan tactician revealed the intense work he put into developing Seema since the defender joined from TS Galaxy last season
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Orlando Pirates head coach Abdeslam Ouaddou has spoken warmly about defender Lebone Seema following the 23-year-old's maiden call-up to the senior Bafana Bafana squad.
Seema was named in a 30-man group assembled by coach Pitso Mosimane for AFCON qualifying fixtures against Guinea and Eritrea, as well as an international friendly against Egypt.
Ouaddou credits Seema's attitude and work ethic
The Moroccan coach attributed Seema's progression to his character as much as his ability, singling out the defender's willingness to take instruction and put in the required work.
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"First of all, I really congratulate him and all the other members of the team who have been called to the national team. I thank as well Pitso to call him," Ouaddou said.
"It means that he has been following his work since last season. He's the future, he's the future of South Africa. We have such talent in that position in South Africa. I hope this call will give him confidence to continue to work, to grow. But I'm not surprised he's somebody that has the good mentality, who's professional and coachable."
Ouaddou acknowledged that he was demanding on Seema during his first season at the club, describing a focused effort to sharpen technical aspects of his game.
"It's very important for me because to improve, you need to be coachable, and you need to be able to understand and to listen. You know, he just started to know me now. Sometimes I can be hard with him and last season I was really, really, really hard with him," he said.
From TS Galaxy to national team recognition
Seema joined Pirates from TS Galaxy ahead of last season and went largely unrecognised for Bafana selection during Hugo Broos' time in charge. His call-up under Mosimane marks a significant step forward in his professional career.
Ouaddou revealed that he and his technical staff spent considerable time working with Seema on passing combinations and duels, with the results now apparent at national level.
"I'm really, really happy and our technical staff and the club are very happy about this call. I hope he's going to continue and to bring us this experience as well from the national team. But again, thanks to Pitso to see his qualities," the coach added.
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Source: Briefly News
