Abdeslam Ouaddou sets early Pirates coaching record after 50 games

Orlando Pirates head coach Abdeslam Ouaddou has recorded the highest winning percentage by a coach in the club’s PSL history after 50 matches, strengthening his claims to eventually become the most successful manager to lead the Soweto giants.

Ouaddou reached the milestone when Pirates defeated Sekhukhune United 2-0. The result gave the French-Moroccan coach a 72% win rate from his opening 50 games in charge of Ezimnyama.

That figure puts him ahead of the club’s previous coaches at the same stage. Josef Zinnbauer had won 60% of his matches after 50 games, while Jose Riveiro stood on 58% at the corresponding point of his Pirates tenure.

Ouaddou’s position at the club had appeared uncertain after he expressed a desire to leave in the immediate aftermath of Pirates completing a treble. The achievement included the club’s first Betway Premiership title in 14 years.

However, that uncertainty now appears to have passed, with Ouaddou continuing his work at Pirates and reaching the 50-match landmark with a convincing victory over Sekhukhune United.

The 47-year-old already has three trophies since arriving at the club and has not yet completed half of his second season. His current record leaves him well placed to challenge for the distinction of being Pirates’ most successful coach in the PSL era.

That status is presently associated with Riveiro, who surpassed his former mentor Ruud Krol in both the number of matches managed and the number of trophies won. Riveiro took charge of 131 games for Pirates and won five trophies, moving beyond Krol’s club records.

Riveiro and Krol remain the only coaches to have managed more than 100 matches for Orlando Pirates during the PSL era.

Krol departed after 119 games with a 50% winning rate. Riveiro, meanwhile, left Pirates after managing 131 matches and recording a 62.5% win rate. His departure came with a few matches still remaining in the 2024/25 season.

Ouaddou’s early figures therefore place him ahead of both of the coaches who have set the benchmark for longevity and success at Pirates. His three trophies, combined with the strongest 50-game winning percentage recorded by a coach at the club, have made him a serious contender to eventually surpass Riveiro’s achievements.

The victory over Sekhukhune United also marked an important personal milestone for Ouaddou after a period of uncertainty surrounding his future. Having guided Pirates to a treble and now established the best start of any coach at the 50-match mark, he remains firmly on course to build one of the most successful managerial records in the club’s PSL history.