Orlando Pirates legend Teboho Moloi says that the club’s left-field decision of appointing Abdeslam Ouaddou has highlighted chairman Irvin Khoza’s unmatched ability to pull a rabbit out of the hat.
Pirates stunned all and sundry when they announced the capture of the Moroccan-French coach who was on the books of Marumo Gallants last season.
Ouaddou may have done a decent job at Gallants, but no one could have predicted that he would be taking over the reins at the Buccaneers.
The former Bucs assistant coach is of the belief that Khoza is always a step ahead when it comes to the hiring of coaches, even during Moloi’s playing days.
He says that Ouaddou is the right man to take Pirates to the next level after the club reached dizzy heights with coach Jose Riberio, who jumped ship and set sail with Al Ahly of Egypt.
“The chairman is very knowledgeable about the game; he’s been around at the club since the 1970s.
“He does not choose coaches blindly; no one knew about Jose Riveiro, and he was called all sorts of things [such as] ‘plumber’, but look how he turned the [team] around,” said Moloi.
“Even back in the days, the chairman brought the likes of Ruud Krol, Roy Baretto and Julio Leal – they all won trophies and major titles for Pirates.
“Krol won the treble, Baretto won us the league title, and Leal won two trophies. During our playing days, Pirates signed coaches such as Geoff Hudson, and they all did a fantastic job,” Moloi added.
As short as it was, Moloi mentioned that he was impressed by Ouaddou’s spell as Gallants coach.
“He planned meticulously for opponents, even against Pirates. At Pirates, he will have to continue with the attacking style that Jose instilled.
“They will need to focus on transition play – they will need to work hard and quickly to win the ball after they lose it.
“That’s why and how they lost to Pyramids FC in the CAF Champions League final and also to Kaizer Chiefs in the Nedbank Cup.
“Their transition play was not up to scratch, and I am just curious as to how he would hit the ground running.”
The 46-year-old Ouaddou brings a wealth of experience both as a player and a tactician.
A former Moroccan international, Ouaddou earned 68 caps for the Atlas Lions and enjoyed a distinguished playing career across several top European leagues.
He will be assisted by Mandla Ncikazi and Rayaan Jacobs, Helmi Gueldich and Tyron Damons.
As part of preparations for the upcoming campaign, the Bucs will embark on a third consecutive pre-season in Spain.
At the training camp, they will play friendly matches against European opponents including Bolton Wanderers (England), Pafos FC (Cyprus), Las Palmas (Spain), and Granada (Spain).
