Abdeslam Ouaddou demands ruthlessness from Orlando Pirates despite cup success

Progress, for Orlando Pirates, is no longer the benchmark. 

That was the clear subtext behind Abdeslam Ouaddou’s measured but demanding post-match reflection after their Tshakuma Tsha Madzivhandila rout on Saturday. The Moroccan born mentor shook his head after a week in Durban that yielded maximum results but not complete satisfaction.

Pirates ticked the boxes that mattered on paper — league points secured against AmaZulu and safe passage into the Nedbank Cup last 16 — yet Ouaddou was quick to steer the conversation away from outcomes and towards performance indicators. 

For a coach leaning heavily on process, the data told a more sobering story.

“Simply, if you look at the data, how many shots we take at goal and how many chances we create to get into the final third, we will realise quickly that this is simply not enough,” Ouaddou said, after the 4-1 victory over TTM.

It was not a rebuke, but a reminder that dominance without ruthlessness is a fragile currency. Pirates controlled large spells, moved the ball well and asserted their authority, yet the conversion rate lagged behind the standard Ouaddou believes is required of a club chasing silverware on multiple fronts.

“The numbers don’t lie so we need to finish goals off,” he added, 

What followed was perhaps the most revealing insight into Ouaddou’s philosophy. Respect, in his eyes, is not shown by restraint but by insistence.

“I told my players that the only way to respect these kinds of teams is if you have to score six or seven goals then you do just that because it’s the law of football.”

It is a ruthless view, but one rooted in ambition. Pirates are no longer merely trying to survive fixtures; they are shaping momentum. 

And for Ouaddou, momentum is built not only on wins, but on statements — particularly against opposition where control should translate into comfort. Still, context mattered. The coach acknowledged the physical and mental demands of a packed schedule, praising his squad for navigating a taxing week away from home.

“So, I’m not going to be too hard on my players because we have been in Durban for a week and the mission was accomplished in the league against AmaZulu and the Nedbank Cup as well,” he said.

That balance reflects a coach intent on raising standards without destabilising confidence. Pirates, after all, remain firmly in the title conversation and alive in cup competition, two objectives that demand careful management.

Yet, Ouaddou’s closing remarks revealed where his focus truly lies: the league run-in.

“I’m the kind of coach that will always demand more from the players and this is a big club so we have to keep scoring those goals not only to advance in cup competitions but to have the momentum to take into the league,” he said.

“At the end of the season, we will be counting goals there.”

For Pirates, the message is clear. Results are welcome, but goals — and the hunger to keep scoring them — may ultimately define whether this season becomes memorable or merely respectable.