Ouaddou had big shoes to fill as he replaced former Bucs boss Jose Riveiro, who led the club to three MTN8 titles, two Nedbank Cups, and three second-place Betway Premiership finishes.

The new mentor didn’t get off to the best of starts at Pirates as they were eliminated from the CAF Champions League before the group stages.

He did manage to secure the MTN8 title with a 3-0 win over Stellenbosch, while Pirates are due to play Marumo Gallants in the Carling Knockout final and are currently in second place in the league standings, just three points behind leaders Mamelodi Sundowns, with two games in hand.

Ncikazi, who worked alongside Riveiro, has revealed his respect for the new Bucs boss, who he says has brought a new dimension to the team.

The assistant said on IOL: “Football and sport reflect the society that we come from. What I have picked up from the coach is that first, before being a coach, he is a great human being; he understands that he is African, and he respects African people.

“He often says that he will use the expertise that he finds at the club, and very few coaches do that. We trust each other and aren’t always scared to be stabbed from behind, and it’s only a confident human being that can do that.

“The results speak for themselves; this is a very spiritual team, and it’s a spiritual sport. The unification of the energies amongst us gives the results, and I hope it continues.”

“I like how our team has adapted,” Ncikazi continued.

“We take training very seriously, and I am confident with the spirit amongst the players, and the unity and support from the management. I am confident that we can get good results and hopefully win the Carling Cup. We are not in control of results, but we have full control of performance.”