Jose Riveiro was also unheralded when he arrived at Pirates.
Orlando Pirates’ new head coach Abdelsam Ouaddou is clearly not the man many were expecting to take up the role at the Buccaneers this week.
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That was Rulani Mokwena, a man steeped in Pirates heritage and who, since his last spell at the Buccaneers, has picked up a wealth of experience at the helm of Mamelodi Sundowns and Wydad Casablanca.
Pirates fans must take heed
But those Pirates fans disappointed at Ouaddou’s appointment need only to learn a lesson from the very man Ouaddou replaced.
It is safe to say that Jose Riveiro was a very unfamiliar, unheralded figure when he arrived at Pirates at the start of the 2022/23 season.
It wasn’t long, however, before the Ghost were nicknaming him ‘Spanish Guitar’ for the way he had Pirates playing melodic football.
Ouaddou is a far more familiar face on the African continent than Riveiro was. He captained Morocco to the 2004 Africa Cup of Nations finals and played in the English Premier League with Fulham in an impressive playing career for club and country.
The 46 year-old Moroccan has a Uefa Pro License, the highest coaching badge in Europe, and has prior experience at the helm in Africa.
He even took charge of South African Betway Premiership side Marumo Gallants from late February, impressing as he steered them away from relegation trouble.
The only reason he broke away from a two year deal seems to be a difference of opinion in what he was supposed to be paid in his second season.
Ouaddou’s acceptance could have been key
There is talk that the reason Mokwena did not get the job is that he wanted to bring his own technical team, while Ouaddou was prepared to accept the assistant coaches he has been given.
There can be no criticism of Mokwena, if he has his principles and if this was a deal-breaker for him.
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But in the same breath taking the Pirates job usually requires some form of accepting that this is a club where the head coach does not have all the power.
Ouaddou, first and foremost, needs to be given a chance to show what he can do. Riveiro was, and he delivered. There is no reason to think the Moroccan will not do the same.
