Bullish Abdeslam Ouaddou ready to help Orlando Pirates complete their 'five-year project' - 'I’m not crazy, I know where I am putting my feet'

While a section of Orlando Pirates have questioned the ability of coach Abdeslam Ouaddou to deliver, others believe he is the right man for the job.

Bucs' management made a shocking decision to appoint him as Jose Riveiro's successor.

Prior to the announcement, big names like Rhulani Mokwena, Benni McCarthy, and Pitso Mosimane had been linked with the job.

In the 2025/26 edition, Bucs will be under pressure to win the MTN8 for the fourth time in a row. The Nedbank Cup and Carling Knockout will be the other two domestic competitions they will be pushing for.

However, the main priority will be the Premier Soccer League crown and another adventure in the Caf Champions League.

“I’d like to thank the board, the fans for the warm welcome, the staff as well, I’m honoured to be part of this institution,” he told Pirates TV.

“It’s a club, but it’s an institution; when I see the fantastic organisation of the club, we can really say it’s an institution.”

“I will try to speak honestly and respect the brand, the football, and the fans as well, there is world between the organisation, the professionalism, the vision as well, I can say in Marumo Gallants, I had a good time, fantastic behaviour, mentality of players,” he said about the difference between Gallants and Pirates," Ouaddou continued.

“Nice people, fantastic fans as well, the fans [in Bloemfontein] fantastic, very friendly people, so I appreciated it a lot. But if we compare the two clubs, it’s too far away, the way I reached, or was scouted by Pirates, I was very surprised.

“I can tell you Pirates are in the future, very advanced about how they are seeing football, how they are managing the club, I can tell the fans, those who love Orlando Pirates are lucky to have such people looking after the club.”

“I played in England and France, I’m not sure if I have seen the way these people are managing the club, getting exactly what they want, the board saw me four or five times before taking a decision; they don’t take anyone just like that," he added.

“There’s a lot of criteria, and when you past the first criteria, they have another one, when you finish, they have a second, and third – there’s a fourth one, we can say that the most important things will be results, when you coming to such a big club, there’s a brand.

“We are in a five-year process, we are at the end of the three years now, people need trophies and results now. When I put my foot here at Pirates, I’m not crazy, I know where I am putting my feet. The board knows what they want," the former defender concluded.

The first assignment for Ouaddou will be in Spain, where his team will camp for pre-season ahead of the new campaign.

It will be critical for him to get his tactics right to avoid a premature exit.