Orlando Pirates boss Abdeslam Ouaddou warns academy stars they must earn first-team chances

Orlando Pirates head coach Abdeslam Ouaddou has warned the club’s emerging academy players, including highly rated winger Mpho “Phopho” Padime, that potential alone will not guarantee them senior opportunities.

The Moroccan coach recognises the quality within Pirates’ Mayfair youth system, but says the club’s young players must prove they are ready through consistent performances before being introduced to top-flight football.

A group of DStv Diski Challenge players have been training with the senior squad as part of the club’s efforts to prepare them for the demands of professional football.

Padime is regarded as the leading prospect among the current group of academy players. Known as “Phopho”, the winger has impressed the technical team with his creativity and flair while training alongside fellow youngsters Cristian Derbyshire, Tshepo Mhlambi, Simphiwe Masilela and Mpho Mphekgoane.

Those players are all competing for an opportunity to establish themselves in the Pirates first team.

“I am not here to give flowers just because we are developing players,” Ouaddou said during the Buccaneers’ media day on Tuesday.

“The high level requires you to be ready when we call you. So I think there are some young players that we can see a really strong potential with.

“I think at the same time, we brought them with us in the camp to show them, to test them at a high level of intensity. It’s very important.

“I think they did well; we had some answers. If you speak about those players (Padime), you can speak about Masilela as well. We will give them some game time, and of course if we need them we are going to use them.

“But step by step, in the development, you have to analyse, to put them in the right timing. The right timing in a positive environment, when the team is winning, so you bring them. Not when the team is suffering; it’s difficult, and you put them in there. You could burn them quickly.”

Ouaddou said the coaching staff were pleased with what they had seen, but stressed that development was a shared responsibility between the club and the players.

“I am happy with what I have seen; we have to help them grow as a technical team.

“But them as well, when they train with us, they have to learn from the players that went to the World Cup, the players who played high-level football, and they have to take the time to ask some questions.”

Pirates have a strong record of promoting outstanding players from their development structures into the professional ranks.

Relebohile Mofokeng, Mohau Nkota and Mbekezeli Mbokazi are among the academy graduates who have made the transition and gone on to become influential senior players.

Cemran Dansin is the latest player to follow that route, further underlining the importance of youth development to the club’s long-term policy.

However, Ouaddou must balance the introduction of inexperienced players with the demands of a challenging season. Pirates are seeking to defend at least three major domestic titles, placing considerable pressure on the first-team squad and coaching staff.

The manager’s approach suggests that the academy players will be given opportunities, but only when the circumstances are judged to be right. He also wants them to learn from the experienced members of the squad, including players who have competed at World Cup and other high-level football.

For Padime and his fellow prospects, the message is clear: the door to the first team is open, but they will need to demonstrate that they are ready before being trusted with regular senior involvement.