Abdeslam Ouaddou has warned his Orlando Pirates players that individual showboating will not be tolerated if they are serious about challenging for the CAF Champions League.
The Pirates coach delivered the message after his side advanced to the second preliminary round with a 3-1 aggregate victory at the Orlando Amstel Arena. Although the tie was comfortably secured, Ouaddou was unhappy with the drop in intensity after half-time, when his players appeared more concerned with individual moments than maintaining their collective performance.
“I will not accept showboating in my team,” Ouaddou told reporters.
“If we want to win the Champions League and go far in the competition, we have to be serious and stop this thing of showboating because it does not help the team but the ego of whoever is doing it.
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“As a coach, all I want is goals, goals, goals, and nothing more. If the players want to showboat, they can do it, not with me here.”
Pirates had recovered impressively after falling behind to an uncharacteristic mistake from Bafana Bafana goalkeeper Sipho Chaine. Kabelo Kgositsile and Kamogelo Sebelebele turned the game around before the interval, before Yanela Mbuthuma added a third after the break.
Mbuthuma’s goal continued his encouraging scoring run since returning to the starting lineup, but the result did not fully satisfy Ouaddou. Pirates created further chances yet lacked the ruthlessness and discipline he believes will be essential against stronger continental opposition.
The reigning Premiership champions will face African Stars of Namibia in the next round after their opponents eliminated AS Mangasport of Gabon.
Ouaddou must also ensure that Pirates improve domestically, with Mamelodi Sundowns setting the early pace in the league. His warning was therefore as much about standards as style: reaching the next round is only the beginning, and Champions League ambitions demand intensity for the full 90 minutes.