Orlando Pirates head coach Abdeslam Ouaddou remains humble despite delivering his first trophy as the Buccaneers coach.
The Buccaneers were crowned the 2025 MTN8 champions following a 3-0 win over Stellenbosch FC at the Mbombela Stadium on Saturday evening. It was a fourth straight MTN8 triumph for the Buccaneers.
Ouaddou, who was appointed head coach in June, progressed to the final after beating Polokwane City FC and Mamelodi Sundowns.
However, he faced a tough Stellies side in Mbombela and needed extra time to deliver his first trophy for the club.
ABDESLAM OUADDOU SHOWS HUMILITY DESPITE MTN8 FINAL TRIUMPH
“It doesn’t mean that I am a better coach than two months ago. Maybe I am still a plumber or a carpenter for many people,” he told Journalists.
“I don’t see myself as better than Steve Barker; I have very big respect for him. He is a very good coach with a very interesting team.
“Of course, we are happy. As I mentioned, the club has been winning this trophy for many years. So for people, it’s like it’s normal. But it’s not normal because you need to perform.
ORLANDO PIRATES COACH PREACHES PATIENCE AFTER WIN AGAINST STELLENBOSCH
“It was not so easy; it was very close. We played Stellenbosch again today [Saturday], a team that was part of the [CAF Confederation Cup] Africa competitions. So, for me, it’s part of the process,” he added.
“I was not worried. Perhaps people were worried and had a lot of doubts about the coach, but, as I said, in football, sometimes you need patience. When you come to a club that has 10 new players and you need to implement a philosophy and give a model.
“I am not saying philosophy because Jose [Riveiro] did a very good job before. So it was important to keep the legacy and also to be something new for the club to be more than [before].”
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