Thalente Mbatha defends Orlando Pirates coach Abdeslam Ouaddou over showboating stance

Orlando Pirates midfielder Thalente Mbatha has defended head coach Abdeslam Ouaddou’s stance on showboating, insisting the coach is not completely against flair and individual expression on the pitch.

Ouaddou has been vocal about the need for greater discipline from his players in possession and has criticised unnecessary showboating, particularly when it does not contribute to the team’s attacking effectiveness.

However, Mbatha believes the coach’s position has been misunderstood, explaining that Ouaddou is more concerned about the team’s goalscoring output than simply preventing players from expressing themselves.

Speaking ahead of Pirates’ MTN8 final against Mamelodi Sundowns on Saturday, Mbatha said the coach appreciates attacking football and will allow his players greater freedom when they are producing goals.

“Coach doesn’t necessarily mean he doesn’t like showboating. Coach is a person who likes goals and likes playing direct football, but the moment you score more goals, he is a person who can let you showboat,” Mbatha said.

The midfielder believes Ouaddou’s criticism of showboating is largely linked to the team’s need to be more productive in front of goal.

“I believe in terms of him speaking about not liking showboating things, it’s because the goals are not enough, so the more you put four or five goals in the back of the net, he lets you do your own thing,” he added.

Mbatha and his Pirates teammates will now turn their attention to Saturday’s MTN8 final against Sundowns, with the Buccaneers looking to deliver silverware and justify their progress under Ouaddou.