With 38 players currently training with the Orlando Pirates first team, coach Abdeslam Ouaddou says keeping everyone involved and motivated is no small task.
The Buccaneers, who have made it clear they’re aiming for silverware on multiple fronts this season, boast one of the deepest squads in the league.
With new high-profile names like Oswin Appollis and Sipho Mbule, squad rotation, and squad harmony will be key.
ORLANDO PIRATES COACH ABDESLAM OUADDOU ON HIS MASSIVE SQUAD
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Ouaddou, who took charge of the Sea Robbers in June, is no stranger to top-level football, but he admits this is one of the largest groups he has worked with. The situation has forced him to rethink his approach to daily sessions to ensure no player feels sidelined.
He insists that while the size of the squad isn’t ideal, his job is to adapt and make it work, not only as a coach but as a leader who values inclusion and professionalism.
“The number of players we have, it’s a challenge all the time, in my previous clubs, where I was a coach, I usually had between 25 to 28 players,” Ouaddou said via FARPost.
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“In terms of the management of the squad, it’s very important to keep everyone involved for the targets of the club. The challenge is when you have maybe 40 players, it’s not the case here, but in some previous club where I worked with 40 players, it became difficult.
“You can not be efficient in your work, you can’t get straight to the point, and you need to make a lot of rotations at training.
“So it’s a challenge, but at the moment, I am an educator before I’m a professional coach. As long as I have 35 players, I cannot leave out 10 players on the side [at training]. In terms of sport values and as a human being, I have to include them.
“I have to think a little more about my sessions on how I can include all the players. So it’s not up to me [to have a big squad]. As long as we have many players, I have to train them; it’s my job, and I’m paid for that,” the Orlando Pirates mentor concluded.
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