Mamelodi Sundowns beware! Orlando Pirates look the real deal this season under Abdeslam Ouaddou

The Moroccan made a big impact in Mzansi football during his short spell with Marumo Gallants last season, getting his side to play an attractive and exciting brand of football. 

It appears the 46-year-old has brought that to the Sea Robbers, with early indications pointing to a much quicker, tactically flexible and more direct Pirates.

This was evident not only in their opening match against Polokwane City but also throughout their international pre-season tour to Marbella, Spain.  

There, Pirates played high-level friendly matches against European opponents, including Bolton Wanderers (England), Pafos FC (Cyprus), Las Palmas (Spain), and Granada (Spain).

Pirates cleaned house following Riveiro’s departure, showing players like Paseka Mako, Innocent Maela, Thabiso Monyane, Phillip Ndlondlo, Zakhele Lepasa and more the door.

This left room for new acquisitions, with the likes of Appollis, Sipho Mbule, Sihle Nduli, Tshepang Moremi, Yanela Mbuthuma and Abdoulaye Mariko joining the team.

The aforementioned players all made their debuts against City and all looked the part, except maybe for Mariko, who just might need more time to adjust to his new surroundings, having come from Mali.  

As for the rest, they seem to be taking to life at Bucs like ducks to water, especially Bafana Bafana star Appollis, who produced a Man of the Match performance. 

It helps that Ouaddou is not taking over a hot mess like his counterpart Nabi was forced to at Chiefs, with Riveiro leaving a solid foundation behind.

The Spaniard had built a strong team throughout his three seasons at Pirates, with players like Relebohile Mofokeng, Mbekezeli Mbokazi, Patrick Maswanganyi, Nkosinathi Sibisi and Sipho Chaine proving to be a solid spine.  

All Ouaddou needs to do is ensure that he builds on what Riveiro had started, and the Bucs bosses have given him all the necessary tools, like the acquisition of stars like Mbule and Appollis.

A semi-final finish in the CAF Champions League, second place in the Premier Soccer League and successful defence of the MTN 8 are what Ouaddou must improve on. 

Given that it’s only the beginning of the season, and Pirates are already playing some eye-catching stuff, it’s a no-brainer that Ouaddou’s side will only get better.

Although pre-season in Spain would have been a great help, the Moroccan hardly got to implement everything he wanted to in the space of a few weeks. 

As the players continue to grow accustomed to his methods and gel together as a group, Bucs are sure to become an even scarier prospect for their rivals. 

After easing past Richards Bay 4-0 in their quarterfinal on Sunday, Sundowns set up a mouth-watering clash with Pirates in the semi-final.

Cardoso’s side had little pre-season preparations after a long season that saw them participating in the FIFA Club World Cup, and flying the country’s flag high.

The Brazilians will undoubtedly prove to be the biggest test for Pirates in these early stages of the season when they meet in their two-legged semi-final clash.

The two sides have battled it out for the PSL and a few domestic trophies over the past couple of seasons, and their rivalry will likely continue this season.  

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