Orlando Pirates coach Abdeslam Ouaddou has spoken candidly about the difficulties and criticism he faced at the start of his tenure with the club.
Ouaddou arrived at the Buccaneers ahead of the new season, taking over from Jose Riveiro, who had enjoyed three successful years at the club.
His league campaign, however, began poorly, with defeats to Sekhukhune United and Marumo Gallants in the opening two matches.
He drew heavy criticism, particularly for moving away from many of Riveiro’s trusted players and instead assembling a new starting line-up built around several new signings.
Ouaddou admits he felt the pressure during that period, but says those early struggles were crucial in sparking the turnaround that followed, leading the team to two trophies in quick succession.
“Yes [losing those two matches played a role in a turnaround] because when you lose to games in a big club, there’s straight away a fire in the house,” said Ouaddou.
“You always need to find solutions. And I won’t lie to you and say I didn’t feel the pressure. But I still fell the pressure in all the games.
“When you don’t feel the pressure, you need to stop that job. This positive pressure helps one to deliver a performance and to be better and better.
“But on the other hand, I had 10 new players that needed to get my ideas and my game model. I think the guys did well, because quickly they got the ideas and they know the expectations.”
He also expressed gratitude to the club’s management for their patience during that difficult period, noting that many coaches elsewhere aren’t given the same level of trust or time to settle.
“I’m happy with how they [Pirates management] reacted because it helped us to have some results. What’s important is the trust and I’m very lucky because I’m in the club managed by professional people. Their people think football, they have a vision, have a project and they know what target they want to reach,” he added.
“I’m happy because they knew that the two games lost was part of the process and they gave me time. At some clubs, they don’t give you time, you lose two games, you’re out.
“We’re still in the process and for us it will be important to keep working and be humble, keep the straight path in order to reach our targets.”
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