Nobody warned Ouaddou about Orlando Pirates! Abdeslam concedes managing '40 players is a challenge' - 'In my previous club I had between 25 to 28'

Coach Abdeslam Ouaddou is having a second stint in South African football with two different teams.

The former Morocco international started with Marumo Gallants and helped them get out of the relegation zone to a 10th-place finish.

Following Jose Riveiro's exit to Al Ahly, the 46-year-old was given a chance to coach the Sea Robbers.

The Buccaneers signed more than 10 players in their bid to have a stronger team to continue delivering the way they have been under Riveiro.

In the last three years, Pirates have won five trophies locally, at the same time making an impact in inter-club competitions in Africa.

Coach Ouaddou has admitted that dealing with more than 40 players will not be a walk in the park.

“The number of players we have, it’s a challenge all the time, in my previous clubs, where I was a coach, I usually had between 25 to 28 players,” he told the media.

“In terms of the management of the squad, it’s very important to keep everyone involved for the targets of the club. 

"The challenge is when you have maybe 40 players, it’s not the case here, but in some previous club where I worked with 40 players, it became difficult," Ouaddou continued.

“You can not be efficient in your work, you can’t get straight to the point, and you need to make a lot of rotations at training.

“So it’s a challenge, but at the moment, I am an educator before I’m a professional coach. As long as I have 35 players, I cannot leave out 10 players on the side [during training sessions]. In terms of sports values and as a human being, I have to include them.

“I have to think a little more about my sessions on how I can include all the players. So it’s not up to me [to have many players]. As long as we have many players, I have to train them; it’s my job, and I’m paid for that," he concluded.

Ouaddou's first PSL assignment will be on Saturday against Sekhukhune United, who finished fourth on the table in the 2024/25 season.

The tactician started the MTN8 quarter-final with a 2-0 win against Polokwane City, which will give them motivation and confidence to beat Babina Noko.