Newly appointed Orlando Pirates head coach Abdeslam Ouaddou says a big part of his football philosophy is imposing dominance against opponents and creating imbalances in their formations.
The Buccaneers surprisingly appointed Ouaddou on Monday 23 June, overlooking the likes of former Mamelodi Sundowns and Wydad coach Rulani Mokwena.
His deep understanding of the game, coupled with a strong leadership profile, positions him well to lead the Buccaneers into a new era, the club said in a statement .
Pirates coach Abdeslam Ouaddous philosophyOrlando Pirates fans wondering what his philosophy is need not look further than his interview with sports broadcaster Robert Marawa on 3 June 2025.
For a coach, the first thing you do when you arrive at a club is to analyse the profile of the players that you have. As a coach, I want to implement a game model that suits the profile of my players, he explained.
Of course, I have an idea. If I give you my idea, its to be dominant. Of course I like positional games, to be dominant.
I like to build from the goalkeeper and to progress in order to imbalance the opponent, and to find free spaces and quickly to reach the box and to score goals with a lot of numbers in the box.
He added that his team has to recover the ball quickly when it loses possession - and do so as a unit, not just one, two or three players.
Ouaddou is credited with helping Marumo Gallants avoid relegation after he joined the club in March this year. In the 12 matches he was in charge, he guided them to five wins, four draws and three losses.
The club eventually finished 10th in the Betway Premiership and reached the Nedbank Cup semifinals, where they nevertheless lost to his new club Pirates.