'If you don’t respect it, you can be finished!' Mbule warned by Abdeslam Ouaddou ahead of Orlando Pirates' debut - 'Sipho didn’t manage his career well or his choices, but he will help Bucs'

Sipho Mbule joined Orlando Pirates recently, signing a reported one-year deal, after his contract with Mamelodi Sundowns expired.

The 27-year-old had his loan deal with Sekhukhune United ended owing to a breach of discipline off the pitch.

Coach Abdeslam Ouaddou has now challenged the Bafana Bafana international to behave at Bucs.

“It’s funny, at the time when I spoke about Mbule, I was not even approached by Orlando Pirates, it’s just Robert [Marawa] asked me about some players that I liked, I spoke about him, I like this kind of player who is not scared to have the ball,” he told Pirates TV.

“They want to move forward, they are good with the ball, but you know there are some players that need to be managed in the proper way, of course, he has talent… but maybe from him or I don’t know what happened, he didn’t manage his career well or his choices.

“Maybe he was too good, and he reached the level, but the law of football is very tough – when you don’t respect football, yourself, the job – it can be tough and call you back and show you it’s not time for you to slow down.

“Players need to take care of their bodies, their lifestyle and to know that things can go quickly in the right way but also the wrong way as well, if you don’t respect football. If you respect football, football will respect you. If you don’t respect it, you can quickly be finished," he continued.

Ouaddou now hopes to see Mbule deliver for Pirates in the forthcoming campaign. 

“This type of player, if they come back to the high level, in the fitness we want from them, they can help you because they are diamonds, but diamonds need to be protected, if you put them in the wrong place; to come back to Mbule, it’s up to him, not up to me,” the Morocco international continued.

“I find it fantastic that the board of such a big club, not me, because people don’t have to think I brought him here, the board decided about the people they wanted here. He has to take this moment as a strong message, and luck to come back in a good club.

“We will be with him, we will support him and we already to spoke to the staff, we will do everything to bring him to the lights, but in saying that he’s not a small boy, he has to manage his career, his life – but one thing is for sure, the energy we will give all our players, we will give him the same, to help the team.

“We hope to come back here end of the season, to say Orlando Pirates had a good bet on him, but I’m 100% he will help us," Ouaddou concluded.

Mbule is expected to be given the number 8 role at Bucs to help the defence and attack.

His experience while playing for Sundowns and Bafana Bafana will be worth it as Pirates prepare for the Caf Champions League return this season after reaching the semi-final last season.

However, the main thing will be to keep his discipline in check to avoid trouble with the club.

Pirates are currently preparing for the new season; they will be in Spain for pre-season, where they will play top teams.

Mbule and the eight new players will have an opportunity to prove to the new coach that they can deliver for the Soweto giants.