Ouaddou warns Orlando Pirates players: showboating will cost you your place

Orlando Pirates head coach Abdeslam Ouaddou has warned he will leave the club if his players continue to prioritise showboating over scoring goals.

Pirates reached the second preliminary round of the CAF Champions League with a 3-1 victory over La Cure Waves on Friday, completing a 3-1 aggregate win against the Mauritian champions.

Ouaddou was unhappy with aspects of the performance, particularly after Pirates conceded an early goal, although he praised their response.

“We didn’t start the game like we wanted, conceded an early goal, it was a surprise for us, we did not expect that, but I liked the reaction, to score minutes after, it proves we have resources, personality and character,” he said.

Pirates’ equaliser helped them settle before they moved into a 3-1 lead. Ouaddou was pleased with the way his side raised the tempo and applied work from their training sessions.

“It gave us power, energy to lift the rhythm of the game. I was happy how we managed the game in terms of tempo, we managed to rectify the small mistakes we made in Mauritius.

“I saw the patterns of work we did in the week, like how we saw the third man in the back four.”

However, the Orlando Pirates coach felt his players lost intensity after the break despite controlling the game.

“We dropped in the second half, I was not happy. Yes, we had more control, I think we could have scored three or four more goals,” he said.

“I repeat again, the rhythm dropped when we stopped being serious and started showboating.”

‘My world is winning games’

Ouaddou said Pirates must adopt a more professional approach if they are to challenge for the CAF Champions League title.

“If we want to win the Champions League, be ambitious and go far, we must know football is about being serious, going forward and taking chances,” he added.

“I was really, really not happy about the second half.

“I want them to be more serious, to win the Champions League. We have the ambition to win the Champions League, we won’t hide it.

“We must stop these things. This does not help us, it doesn’t help nobody. It only helps the ego of the player, but it doesn’t help the team.

“I want goals, goals, goals that’s what I want. If my players are satisfied with three goals, we cannot go far. I don’t want to lie to people. We must take this job seriously.

“Football is scoring goals. You want to put goals, six or seven, ok I will allow it [showboating] and I will sit. If you see me sitting on the seat, it means that I don’t agree but I let them showboating.

“When you put seven goals, no problem. But they have to understand that the top level, the best footballers it’s scoring goals. It’s the expectation, it’s the mandate.”

Ouaddou added: “My job as a coach is to improve players, is for them to give the best, to win games with a winning mentality. The moment that I will accept showboating, I will leave the results, I will leave everything, and I will pack my luggage and I will stop training.

“Because it’s not my world, my world is winning games. We cannot go in the second half like that with showboating and to miss chances, to score six, seven goals. This is not serious.

“If they want continue to do this, please without me. I will not be the coach. It’s clear, I prefer to stop and maybe bring somebody who will accept the showboating. I will not accept the showboating.”

Pirates will face African Stars of Namibia in the second preliminary round after they overturned a 3-1 first-leg defeat by Gabonese side Mangasport with a 2-0 home win, progressing on the away-goal rule.