Ouaddou says Maswanganyi could have made World Cup squad after difficult start

Abdeslam Ouaddou has paid tribute to Patrick Maswanganyi as the Bafana Bafana international leaves to join Bahrain club Al-Khaldiya, while admitting their relationship began with a difficult period at training.

Ouaddou said he was initially unhappy with Maswanganyi’s approach during sessions, but the pair eventually developed a better understanding as the season progressed. The coach also believes Maswanganyi might have earned a place in Hugo Broos’ Bafana Bafana squad for the FIFA World Cup in Mexico and the US if he had followed his advice earlier.

The farewell comes after Maswanganyi played an important role in Pirates’ successful campaign last season. He scored 10 goals and provided four assists in 34 matches in all competitions as Pirates completed their third domestic treble in the PSL era.

“We have a huge respect for this player for what he gave to the club. The titles that he won, I think he’s a fantastic player, he’s a gifted player that every coach wants to have in his team,” Ouaddou said.

The coach explained that Maswanganyi needed time to understand the standards he expected, particularly in training and in his wider contribution to matches.

“I think we had a difficult moment last season because I think he put a little bit of time into understanding what I was expecting from him about his involvement in the game, his involvement in training because I always said that the job doesn’t start during the game.

“If you prepare for the game, the training starts at the beginning of the week. For me trainings are very important and I was not happy with the way he was training.”

Ouaddou said Maswanganyi eventually responded positively and changed his behaviour, becoming more focused and consistent in training.

“And I’m happy that he came with a fantastic behaviour to 24 of June, fantastic behaviour, fresh in every training and I think you guys have seen his potential at the beginning of the season,” the coach added.

That improvement strengthened Ouaddou’s view of Maswanganyi’s ability and raised the possibility of an international opportunity at the World Cup.

“Of course it’s somebody that is very important and I think if he had listened to me last season, he would have gone to the World Cup,definitely.”

Maswanganyi is now travelling to Bahrain to link up with his new club, bringing an end to his time with Pirates after helping them secure a historic third domestic treble in the PSL era. His departure follows a season in which his goals and assists made a significant contribution to the club’s achievements, despite the initial concerns raised by Ouaddou over his training performances.