Ouaddou backs Orlando Pirates prodigy Masilela to reach top level

Orlando Pirates coach Abdeslam Ouaddou believes Simphiwe Masilela has the ability to develop into a high-level player after describing the 22-year-old as one of the best young footballers he has worked with.

Masilela scored his first top-flight goals in Pirates’ 3-0 league victory over TS Galaxy at Orlando Amstel Arena on Tuesday.

The attacking midfielder, who was promoted to the first team at the start of this season, has also impressed in shorter appearances. He showed flashes of his ability after coming off the bench during Pirates’ 2-0 MTN8 final defeat by Mamelodi Sundowns at Moses Mabhida Stadium.

“What I can tell you is that he has all the attributes, he has all the potential, all the qualities to express himself at the high level,” Ouaddou said.

“I can tell you that I have worked for six, seven years in development in France, in Michel Platini’s academy. So I have seen a lot of young players, and he was one of the best that I have seen.”

Ouaddou said he had also been trying to help Masilela remove unnecessary showboating from his game and focus on the demands of playing at the highest level.

“That’s why sometimes when I try to with a little bit more experience than him, I am older than him, I have seen a lot of players put these young players on the right path, in the requirement of the high-level football, and to leave certain things that are not going to help them on the side, some people are fighting the coach,” he said.

“But without any arrogance, with a lot of humility, I think we know what we are talking about and where we want to bring our players.”

The Pirates coach said Masilela had begun to respond to his instructions during the team’s 2-0 win against Marumo Gallants in Rustenburg before the recent Fifa break last month.

“If you see this player from when he started in Marumo [Gallants], when he started to understand what the coach was expecting from him, he started actually doing these kinds of actions against Marumo in Rustenburg. And after we saw him in the final, and now we are still seeing what he is able to do,” Ouaddou explained.

“This is exactly what I am expecting from a 10, a modern 10, and it’s up to him. If he wants to continue on that path, he just has to continue like that.”

Masilela is expected to feature when Pirates face African Stars of Namibia in the first leg of the CAF Champions League second preliminary round at Botswana National Stadium on Saturday at 3pm.