Orlando Pirates may turn to psychologist for CAF Champions League pressure, says Abdeslam Ouaddou

Orlando Pirates coach Abdeslam Ouaddou says the club may need a professional psychologist to help his young squad cope with the demands of the CAF Champions League group stages.

The group-stage draw takes place in Cairo on Wednesday, with the expectations surrounding Pirates expected to increase as they prepare for their return to the competition’s main phase.

Pirates have the second-youngest squad in the Premier Soccer League’s Premier Division, with an average age of 25.8. Only AmaZulu, whose squad has an average age of 25.5, are younger.

Ouaddou believes the challenge for his players is not only tactical or technical, but also psychological. He said the pressure had affected the team’s decision-making during matches.

“But where my staff and I would really have to help them it’s mentally. Mentally how I can manage the pressure, how I can manage this kind of game. If you see the first half, it’s the same players that you see in the second half but in the first half you know, lots of precipitation. The weight of the ball, how you kick the ball,” Ouaddou said.

“The wrong choices are not because they are bad players, it’s because they have pressure and if you play Pirates, if you play for Masse it’s not the same as you are playing Lyon, it’s not the same.

“I hope that I can help them as a coach but maybe we will need a professional, even a psychologist to go a little bit deeper because I’m not a psychologist.”

Pirates reached the semi-finals of the Champions League two seasons ago, when they were narrowly beaten by Pyramids, who went on to win the competition that season.

About 11 players from that squad remain at the club, but Ouaddou is working with a team that also contains a large number of younger players and 10 new arrivals.

He said adapting to Pirates brought a different level of pressure, even for footballers who had already established themselves elsewhere.

“In the PSL, I have one of the youngest teams and if you saw that we have 10 new players. It’s not easy to integrate a club such big club like Pirates. You can be a big player in other clubs but when you come here the factor that you have to manage is the management of the emotions because there is a lot of pressure. I have good players, of course there is always much progression,” the coach added.