Ouaddou says Henry’s example fuels Orlando Pirates’ pursuit of excellence

Orlando Pirates coach Abdeslam Ouaddou says Thierry Henry’s approach to football has influenced the mentality he is trying to build at the club after an emotionally charged Soweto Derby victory over Kaizer Chiefs.

Ouaddou experienced every kind of emotion during Saturday’s match. He kicked objects in frustration, loosened his tie and at one stage lay face down on the touchline as the contest unfolded. At the final whistle, he celebrated by pumping his clenched fist and pointing towards the heavens.

The reaction reflected the importance of the result. Orlando Pirates beat Kaizer Chiefs to remain unbeaten after the first nine matches of the Betway Premiership season, keeping their title defence on course and securing victory in South Africa’s biggest football rivalry.

It was Ouaddou’s second Soweto Derby win in three matches, having drawn the other fixture. The result was especially significant because it came against his French counterpart, Kaizer Chiefs coach Fernando da Cruz, and in front of Henry, who is a friend of the Pirates manager.

Henry attended the derby as Betway’s global ambassador and spoke to Ouaddou before the match. The visit also prompted the Pirates coach to explain how Henry’s book had influenced his own coaching principles.

“It’s not easy to do this job,” Ouaddou said. “When you have played the game for 17 years, and decide to coach a big club such as Pirates, you want the best for your club. I am pushed by excellence.

“It’s funny because I had my friend here Thierry Henry, I was reading his book and he was talking about his father when he was young. When he was playing for the youth team in Paris, he was scoring five goals, and was expecting his father to congratulate, but his father wasn’t happy – he felt that he should have scored more goals.”

Ouaddou’s determination to demand more was also evident on the touchline, where he shouted at players when he felt they were not meeting his standards. He said that the intensity of his reaction was intended to help Orlando Pirates players develop a stronger mentality.

“I like to push my players every time to be excellent,” he said. “As a big brother, and coach, I want the best for my players. Sometimes in some players, it depends on the profile of the players, but my emotion can push them to be the best. For some, who don’t have a strong mentality, they can be challenged.”

The victory maintained Orlando Pirates’ unbeaten start to the Betway Premiership and gave Ouaddou a second derby triumph in his three most recent meetings with Kaizer Chiefs.