Abdeslam Ouaddou ready to manage all characters at Orlando Pirates

Abdeslam Ouaddou is made of sterner stuff. And as such, he knows the buck will stop with him in making sure the Sea Robbers sail into steady waters.

Ouaddou was appointed as Orlando Pirates’ new head coach last month, taking over the reins from José Riveiro, who joined Egyptian giants Al Ahly. The Moroccan-born coach arrived at the club fully aware that the job is no small task — he must pick up where Riveiro left off and address the team’s shortcomings.

Riveiro had an impressive tenure, leading Pirates to five trophies and three successive second-place league finishes during his three-year spell. Speaking to Pirates TV recently, Ouaddou applauded the Spaniard’s achievements and insisted that the solid foundation and momentum must not go to waste.

The 46-year-old also outlined what he intends to bring to the team and the areas he believes need improvement for Pirates to take the next step.

“I like the philosophy of positional play, and I like to score quickly,” Ouaddou explained.

“You can see we scored a lot of goals last season, and over the years Pirates have come close to challenging the log leaders. But at the same time, we need to improve in some areas, which would help us go forward and eventually win the league.”

He identified defensive transitions as a key focus.

“We need to try to work on that together as a unit. I think it’s a good team, and I like it. We have to keep the legacy, the work that has already been done well. Usually, when a coach comes in, he wants to destroy everything. But we have to be clever — analyse what worked and then build on that foundation.”

While Ouaddou sees no sense in fixing what isn’t broken, Pirates seem ready to usher in a new era, having signed nine new players already this winter.

The influx of fresh faces is sure to bring a mix of personalities — potentially a selection headache for the coaching staff and club bosses. But Ouaddou, who enjoyed a distinguished playing career that included a spell at English Premier League club Fulham, is unfazed.

“I don’t want only nice boys. I want some tough boys. I’ll manage them — no problem,” he said. “I need different characters.

"Coaches often want only nice boys so they don’t have to manage them. But in a team, you need all types — calm people, strong people, sometimes even a few crazy guys. It’s my job to bring all these personalities together and make the connections work.”

Among the new signings is Sipho Mbule — one of South Africa’s most talented playmakers, but a player whose career has been punctuated by disciplinary issues at former clubs SuperSport United, Mamelodi Sundowns, and Sekhukhune United.

Pirates are aware they are taking a gamble by bringing Mbule on board — one that could either pay off or backfire. But Ouaddou, who has long admired Mbule’s ability on the pitch, has a clear plan to support the 26-year-old.

“To come back to the Mbule topic — it’s up to him. It’s not just up to me,” Ouaddou said. “I find it fantastic that the board of such a big club decided to bring him here — that decision wasn’t mine.

"He has to see this as a strong message and a stroke of good fortune to return to a big club. We will be with him and support him.”

As Pirates set sail into a new season, with a new leader at the helm and fresh talent on board, expectations will be high. But Ouaddou seems ready to weather any storm — and maybe even deliver the elusive league title.