Ouaddou sets Orlando Pirates’ PSL-era points record after 50 games

Abdeslam Ouaddou has become the most successful Orlando Pirates coach of the PSL era in terms of points per game after an outstanding first 50 matches in charge.

The Moroccan celebrated the landmark with a 2-0 win over Sekhukhune United at the Orlando Amstel Arena on Tuesday evening, taking his record to 37 victories, eight draws and only five defeats.

Those results have earned Pirates 119 points from a possible 150, giving Ouaddou an average of 2.38 points per game. No other Orlando Pirates coach since the beginning of the PSL era has matched that figure over the same measure.

The 47-year-old’s record is not based solely on results. Pirates have scored 107 goals in his 50 matches, an average of more than two per game, while conceding only 32. The figures underline the balance of his side, which has combined an aggressive attacking approach with a defence that allows fewer than one goal per match.

Ouaddou’s influence has already brought major silverware to the club. During his first campaign, he guided the Buccaneers to a treble consisting of the MTN8, Carling Knockout and Betway Premiership.

The league success carried particular significance for Orlando Pirates, ending a 14-year wait for the championship. Pirates completed the 2025/26 league season with 69 points. According to Transfermarkt, Ouaddou’s league record that campaign was 21 wins, six draws and three defeats from 30 matches.

His five defeats in all competitions across the opening 50 games equate to a loss rate of 10% or one defeat in every 10 matches. The eight draws represent occasional dropped points, but also indicate how rarely Pirates are beaten when they fail to win.

That consistency marks a sharp start to Ouaddou’s tenure and places him ahead of his predecessor, Jose Riveiro, in the points-per-game comparison.

Riveiro managed Orlando Pirates for 131 matches and recorded an average of 2.05 points per game. He also secured five cup triumphs during his spell, helping restore confidence and pride at a club that had endured several years without a major trophy.

Ouaddou’s goal record is perhaps the most striking aspect of the comparison. Scoring 107 times in 50 matches points to a team built around sustained attacking pressure, regular chance creation and a willingness to impose itself against different opponents and in different competitions.

At the other end of the pitch, the 32 goals conceded suggest that the attacking style has not weakened Pirates’ defensive organisation. Instead, the team’s early success under the former Moroccan international has been founded on both productivity in front of goal and a high level of tactical discipline.

The victory over Sekhukhune United therefore represented more than a celebratory result for Ouaddou’s 50th match. It extended a remarkable statistical record and reinforced his position at the top of Orlando Pirates’ PSL-era coaching rankings.