Orlando Pirates made a surprising announcement on Monday, naming Moroccan Abdeslam Ouaddou as their new head coach.
The 46-year-old, who will arrive in South Africa later this week in anticipation of Pirates’ pre-season starting on June 27, brings with him a wealth of experience from a distinguished playing career and a burgeoning coaching journey.
Read: Orlando Pirates Appoint Abdeslam Ouaddou as New Head Coach
Here, SBN delves into five aspects of the new Buccaneers mentor you might not be familiar with!
A Stint in the English Premier League
Abdeslam Ouaddou enjoyed a commendable career as a centre-back for both club and country. From 2001 to 2003, he plied his trade in the English Premier League for Fulham under Jean Tigana and then Chris Coleman.
During his time with the London club, he was a teammate of Luis Boa Morte, a player who later had a less successful spell with Orlando Pirates towards the end of his career.
Troubles in Qatar
After moving to Qatar in 2010 to play for Lekhwiya, he joined Qatar SC the following season. That being said, his time there was marred by a dispute when he refused to agree to terminate his contract.
In February 2014, Ouaddou successfully won a case he brought before FIFA’s Dispute Resolution Chamber (DRC) after Qatar SC failed to pay him for six months. The club also withheld his exit visa, a common tactic in Qatar that requires employer consent.
Ouaddou persevered, stating that he only obtained his visa after threatening to report the case to human rights organizations. The DRC ruled in his favor, ordering the club to pay all outstanding wages.
A Burgeoning Coaching Journey
Ouaddou transitioned into coaching after retiring from playing in January 2013, initially joining the youth coaching structures at French side AS Nancy. His first opportunity in African football came on the technical staff of the Algerian national team, serving as an assistant coach under Djamel Belmadi in 2020. He then returned to Morocco to manage Mouloudia d’Oujda, followed by a stint coaching Benin’s Loto-Popo FC.
In January 2024, he took charge of Congolese giants AS Vita. Surprisingly, his spell at Vita was short-lived, as he resigned in September 2024 following a CAF Confederation Cup loss to Steve Barker’s Stellenbosch (2-0 in the first leg of a preliminary qualifying round). Ouaddou publicly cited the club’s poor organizational skills as his reason for leaving.
His first foray as a head coach in the Premier Soccer League came with Marumo Gallants, a role that, despite its success in securing the club’s top-flight status, was brief.
While his coaching resumé may not boast the same extensive accolades as some of his Betway Premiership counterparts, Orlando Pirates has a history of taking chances on promising, less-established head coaches, a strategy that famously paid off with José Riveiro, who was initially dubbed a “plumber” by critics upon his arrival in 2022.
Dispute with Marumo Gallants
His most recent coaching role in the Premier Soccer League, with Marumo Gallants, also ended abruptly. After taking charge in February of the current year (2025), he coached Gallants for only 12 matches.
Despite an impressive record of five wins, including victories over Orlando Pirates and Kaizer Chiefs in the Betway Premiership, and successfully saving Gallants from relegation to a respectable 10th-place finish, Ouaddou unexpectedly announced his resignation. This unceremonious departure hints at underlying issues, echoing his previous contractual challenges.
The 2025/26 Orlando Pirates Technical Team
As previously mentioned, the seasoned 46-year-old tactician is set to arrive in South Africa later this week and will lead an experienced technical unit, with familiar faces returning to key roles.
Mandla Ncikazi and Rayaan Jacobs will continue as assistant coaches, while Helmi Gueldich remains in charge of strength and conditioning. Tyron Damons also stays on as the goalkeeper coach.
AmaBhakaniya are set to begin pre-season preparations on 27 June ahead of their upcoming training camp in Marbella, Spain between 8-20 July.
The Soweto giants are scheduled to face Bolton Wanderers (England), Pafos FC (Cyprus), Las Palmas (Spain), and Granada (Spain) in friendlies during their time in Europe.