Ouaddou urges caution over Orlando Pirates youngster Cemran Dansin after rapid rise

Orlando Pirates coach Abdeslam Ouaddou has warned against placing too much pressure on 21-year-old Cemran Dansin after the youngster’s impressive start to the new league season.

Dansin was named man of the match after playing a key role in Pirates’ 2-0 victory over rookies Milford in their league opener at Orlando Amstel Arena on Saturday.

The defending league champions secured the win through goals from Oswin Appollis and Tshepang Moremi, but much of the attention afterwards focused on Dansin’s performance and his growing influence in the side.

Ouaddou said Pirates were pleased with the midfielder’s progress but believed he still needed time and continued support before being judged as an established top-level player.

“I want to be very cautious about the media, about us, not to put this boy [Dansin] quickly high [up] because a career is long. He’s doing well and we’ll give him all our trust, all our help to bring him to the high level,” Ouaddou cautioned.

The coach said Dansin remained a developing player and that his recent performances should not lead to unrealistic expectations.

“The boy still needs a lot of work to get to the highest level, but at the moment he is doing very well. We have to be very careful. I have been in the business for a while…the boy is doing well. We took time to bring this young talent in.”

Ouaddou also rejected the idea that Pirates had been uncertain about Dansin’s ability. Instead, he said the club had deliberately managed the player’s introduction to first-team football, believing a gradual approach would give him the best chance of developing.

“You remember last season, I didn’t hesitate to put him in a very big game against Sundowns and he scored a fantastic goal. He was with us in most games. We have detected the talent, but you don’t have to burn this talent… it’s step by step,” Ouaddou stated.

Dansin had already featured in most of Pirates’ matches last season, according to the coach, including the high-profile meeting with Sundowns in which he scored what Ouaddou described as a fantastic goal.

The Pirates manager said the club’s decision to take time before giving Dansin a more prominent role had been intentional, despite outside questioning.

“People didn’t understand why it took so much time to bring him, but we knew what we were doing.”

Pirates will next face Durban City in the MTN quarterfinals at Orlando Amstel Arena on Saturday, with Dansin’s recent display likely to increase interest in whether he will retain his place in the team.