Details have emerged about Moroccan-Frenchman Abdeslam Ouaddou following the confirmation of his appointment as Orlando Pirates’ head coach.
Ouaddou joins after a short stint with Marumo Gallants and takes over from Jose Riveiro.
His first taste of domestic football with Gallants was ironically against Pirates in a game he won 2-0.
The 46-year-old arrives with considerable experience having taken charge of Congolese club AS Vita in his last job prior to moving to South Africa, while he has also worked in Benin, Morocco, Algeria, and France.
His playing career reached its peak at English club Fulham and he also played in France, Greece, and Qatar.
"This is a proper coach who knows how to manage his team," highlights former Pirates striker Lelo Mbele, who worked with Ouaddou at AS Vita Club in DR Congo.
Mbele was team manager at the club, which he also played for before his career took him to Zulu Royals and then Pirates.
"I think Pirates have done their homework well in settling for him (Ouaddou) because he is calm, principled, and professional just like their previous coach (Riveiro).
"Pirates didn’t want to move away a lot from what the coach before (Riveiro) did by coming in to the club and working with the players signed by the club.
"Maybe the issue with the other coaches is that they would have wanted a change to this way of working for the club and be demanding this and that player of their choice.
"Now, they have a coach who I feel is basically from Europe even though he was born in Morocco.
"When he came to us here at Vita after being brought in by the previous president, he didn’t demand for new players but worked with what he found.
"What I liked the most about him is his professionalism in the job.
"There are no negotiations with professionalism, which, for me, is what you need as a good coach.
"It was unfortunate that here at Vita, he was too professional for us because we have a different mentality, and the environment is not the best.
"In South Africa, the environment is suitable for him, so I think he deserves to be given a chance.
"He speaks English, French, and Arabic, so conversing through their travels in Africa for the Champions will not be an issue.
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“"My warning for everyone at Pirates is that they have a professional coach who doesn’t tolerate wayward behaviour yet enjoys having his team keeping the ball.
"He is authoritative and solid," says Mbele, who spoke to KickOff.com from Kinshasa.
Bucs begin their pre-season on June 27 and will be in Marbella, Spain from July 8-July 20.
Photo: Charle Lombard/Gallo Images
