Ouaddou reveals the flexible football philosophy behind Pirates’ progress

Orlando Pirates head coach Abdeslam Ouaddou says his new-look squad is adapting quickly because the club’s recruitment strategy has identified players capable of fitting both its identity and his flexible approach to the game.

Pirates’ recent arrivals, including Gamphani Lungu, Mthetheli Mthiyane, Thapelo Mokobodi and Sbangani Zulu, have made a positive impression since joining the Soweto club. Players promoted from the DStv Diski Challenge, among them Mpho Padime, have also settled into the first-team environment and appear comfortable within Ouaddou’s tactical framework.

The French-Moroccan coach discussed his methods after Pirates secured a commanding 3-0 victory over Sekhukhune United in the second leg of their MTN8 semi-final at Orlando Stadium.

Ouaddou praised the club’s scouting and recruitment department for bringing in players who understand what Pirates represents and who can respond to the demands of his game model.

“We have a scouting department recruiting the players, regarding the identity of the club. But I don’t only want to play in transition, the boys need to play a positional game, to be able to play a positional game when we need to,” Ouaddou said.

The 47-year-old stressed, however, that he does not want his team to be defined by one particular style. While positional football is an important part of his plans, he believes his players must be able to recognise and manage every phase of a match.

“But in my game model, I try to teach the players to be efficient in all phases. They must recognize the phases of the game. I cannot just come to tick the boxes of being a positional coach.”

Ouaddou’s comments offer an insight into the training principles he is using to develop Pirates. Rather than preparing the side to attack in only one way, he wants the players to identify the circumstances in front of them and react accordingly.

That could involve maintaining possession and building through a positional structure, or making the most of the spaces that appear immediately after possession has been regained. The coach also expects his players to recognise both attacking and defensive transitions and understand how those moments can shape a game.

“My game model is to train all the week, during our periodization, our cycles, the possibility of our players to play a positional game, a transitional game, if we need. To recognize the attacking and defensive transitions. That’s it,” the former Marumo Gallants coach said.

Ouaddou believes Pirates showed the benefits of that work during the victory over Sekhukhune United. He said the players were able to spot open space after winning the ball and attack it quickly, an aspect that has been repeatedly addressed during training.

“And I think what they did today is to be able to recognize the space when they recover the ball and to attack that space. It is something we’ve been working on, with exercises in training. I think in modern football, with clever players, they don’t have to play only one way. They must recognize what the opponent gives us as a problem and to answer the question,” Ouaddou added.

The coach’s philosophy places responsibility on the players to read the match rather than follow a rigid set of instructions. For Pirates’ new recruits and academy graduates, adapting to that demand will be central to their continued integration into the team.