Ouaddou urges caution as Dansin’s rapid rise draws attention

Orlando Pirates coach Abdeslam Ouaddou has urged the media and supporters not to place excessive expectations on 21-year-old Cemran Dansin after the youngster helped the defending league champions begin their campaign with victory.

Dansin was named man of the match after playing a central role in Pirates’ 2-0 league win over rookies Milford at Orlando Amstel Arena on Saturday. Oswin Appollis and Tshepang Moremi scored the goals as Pirates made a winning start.

Ouaddou praised Dansin’s contribution but said the midfielder still required time, guidance and further development before he could be regarded as a finished product.

“I want to be very cautious about the media, about us, not to put this boy [Dansin] quickly high [up] because a career is long. He’s doing well and we’ll give him all our trust, all our help to bring him to the high level,” Ouaddou cautioned.

The Pirates coach said the club were committed to helping Dansin progress but insisted that his impressive form should not lead to premature comparisons or expectations.

“The boy still needs a lot of work to get to the highest level, but at the moment he is doing very well. We have to be very careful. I have been in the business for a while…the boy is doing well. We took time to bring this young talent in.”

Ouaddou also rejected the suggestion that Pirates had been uncertain about Dansin’s ability. Instead, he said the club had deliberately managed the player’s introduction to first-team football, believing that a gradual approach would give him the best chance of developing.

He pointed to Dansin’s appearance against Sundowns last season as evidence that Pirates had long recognised his potential. The youngster scored in that match and was involved in most of the team’s games during the campaign.

“You remember last season, I didn’t hesitate to put him in a very big game against Sundowns and he scored a fantastic goal. He was with us in most games. We have detected the talent, but you don’t have to burn this talent… it’s step by step,” Ouaddou stated.

The French coach added that the decision to take time before giving Dansin a more prominent role had been intentional, even though it was not always understood from outside the club.

“People didn’t understand why it took so much time to bring him, but we knew what we were doing.”

Dansin’s latest performance came as Pirates secured an opening-round victory, with Appollis and Moremi providing the decisive finishing touches. The result also gave the league champions an ideal start as they began their title defence.

Pirates will return to Orlando Amstel Arena on Saturday for their next fixture, when they face Durban City in the MTN quarterfinals.