Fierce protection: Orlando Pirates head coach Abdeslam Ouaddou says he will not stand by while his players are targeted in high-stakes matches. Photo: Backpagepix
Image: Backpagepix
Orlando Pirates head coach Abdeslam Ouaddou opened up his touchline spat and his players having targets on their backs after his side were held to a goalless draw by Orlando Pirates against Durban City FC on Saturday.
That result threw another spanner on the works of the Betway Premiership with the final week on the horizon. The Moroccan mentor was visibly animated on the touchline as tempers flared during a heated confrontation late in the match.
Speaking afterwards, Ouaddou insisted his frustration was triggered by what he viewed as a dangerous challenge on his goalkeeper, Sipho Chaine.
Pirates went into the match knowing victory would have taken them to the top of the table on goal difference ahead of Mamelodi Sundowns, who remain on 68 points, with just one match left in the season.
Instead, the Soweto giants now head into a decisive final-day clash against relegation-threatened Orbit College FC on Saturday (kick-off 3pm) at Mbombela Stadium still needing a result to secure their title ambitions.
The draw also continued a concerning trend for Pirates in recent high-pressure fixtures, having previously dropped points against Kaizer Chiefs and Richards Bay FC. After the match, Ouaddou defended his reaction and made it clear his stance was rooted in player protection rather than confrontation.
“There is a difference between playing strongly with physicality on the ball and to break the players; this is not the mentality and never will be my mentality, as first an educator, before being a coach,” said Ouaddou. “I’m an educator, then a coach.”
He pointed to recent injury setbacks suffered by winger Tshepang Moremi during the Soweto Derby as further justification for his emotional response, stressing the importance of safeguarding players in intense matches.
“I need to protect my players. If someone cannot protect them in the middle of the pitch, I have to protect them,” he added.
“If I have to remind you during the Kaizer Chiefs game, we lost Moremi, and he is just coming back, I’m happy, but he lost him for two games, a very important player. When you are an educator, and you are encouraging this behaviour, it is very bad.
“We must not forget that in the stands there are children. We have to be an example; football has to be a bridge, an example, and a model for the next generation.”
Despite the heated exchange, Ouaddou confirmed the situation was later defused after a discussion with Durban City coach Pitso Dladla.
“I stayed quiet after the Kaizer Chiefs game when I lost one of my best players, and (Saturday) I didn’t want to lose my best goalkeeper. The ball was far away, and they kicked the goalkeeper, which is very bad, but I had a chat with the coach of Durban City, and everything is okay now, and he apologised,” he added.
With the title race heading into a dramatic final day, Pirates remain in contention, but Saturday’s draw has ensured the pressure only intensifies.