Rasebotja reveals how Ouaddou ended Pirates’ 14-year league wait

Former Orlando Pirates midfielder Selaelo Rasebotja says Abdeslam Ouaddou’s high standards and focus on handling each match individually were crucial to the club winning the Betway Premiership for the first time in 14 years.

Pirates secured the title in a dramatic finish, ending Mamelodi Sundowns’ long hold on the competition by finishing one point ahead of them.

The achievement marked a significant change in fortunes for a side that had become regarded as cup specialists under former head coach Jose Riveiro. For three successive seasons, Pirates finished second in the league but were unable to close the gap on Sundowns, despite their strong performances in knockout competitions.

There had been doubts over whether Ouaddou could deliver the league success that had eluded Riveiro, particularly after Pirates began the campaign with two defeats. One of those losses came against Ouaddou’s former club, placing the former Marumo Gallants head coach under pressure from the start of his tenure.

However, Pirates recovered to claim the Betway Premiership crown for the first time since the 2011/12 season.

Rasebotja, who was released by the club at the end of the 2025/26 season, believes the French-Moroccan coach brought a different approach to the squad and technical team.

“I think coach Ouaddou is a very passionate person, he takes his job seriously,” Rasebotja said on the Apex Sports International YouTube Channel.

The 25-year-old midfielder explained that Ouaddou wanted the same level of commitment and professionalism from everyone around the team.

Rasebotja said Pirates had already shown they were capable of winning trophies in cup competitions, but the league title had become an important missing piece for the club and its supporters.

“But with cup competitions, there was no doubt that we stood a chance of winning trophies,” he said.

“The league, everyone could see that it was long overdue and it was just a matter of time that after 14 years, we give the supporters and the club what they have been longing for the longest of time.”

The Mokopane-born player said Pirates had to adapt to the demands of a long league campaign rather than relying only on their ability to produce decisive performances in cup matches.

“Understanding that as much as we were good in cup competitions, the league is a marathon, take each game at a time, each game brings a different scenario, it’s how you deal with them that helped us.”

Rasebotja also pointed to Pirates’ ability to produce late results as evidence of the team’s preparation and mental strength. He said the squad remained united despite the challenges it faced during the season.

“You could see the mental attitude of the guys, most of the games we won towards the end of the game, so it speaks to the preparations the guys put in. It was not an easy season, we had a lot of challenges but we stuck together as a group. We did whatever we needed to do to bring the glory back to Esigodini,” he added.

Rasebotja has since joined Siwelele after leaving Orlando Pirates.