Orlando Pirates coach Abdeslam Ouaddou has fired back at his doubters after guiding the Soweto giants to a historic fourth consecutive MTN8 title.
When the Moroccan tactician replaced fan favourite Jose Riveiro, many questioned whether he was the right man to take charge of the Buccaneers.
Those concerns only grew louder after Pirates began their league campaign with back-to-back defeats against Marumo Gallants and Sekhukhune United.
But Ouaddou has since steadied the ship. Three straight PSL wins were followed by the MTN8 final triumph over Stellenbosch, cementing Pirates’ dominance in the competition.
Speaking after the victory, the former Marumo Gallants coach reminded critics that success requires time and patience.
“Of course we’re happy because the club has been winning this trophy for many years. For people, it looks normal, but it’s not. You still need to perform and beat tough teams like Mamelodi Sundowns. That’s never easy,” the Bucs coach told the media after the match.
“Football needs patience when you arrive at a club with ten new players and a new plan. Sometimes it takes time, but people don’t understand. We lost two games at the start, but it wasn’t like we didn’t deserve to win. After just two games, people wanted to fire the coach.”
Ouaddou’s appointment was always going to be compared to Riveiro, who delivered five trophies in three seasons. But with silverware already secured and momentum building in the league, the Moroccan appears to be silencing his doubters.
For Ouaddou, however, the focus remains on the future with the Bucs mentor saying what is important is for his players to keep getting the results needed this season.