Orlando Pirates head coach Abdeslam Ouaddou has backed the club’s strategy of nurturing homegrown talent rather than spending in the region of R20 million on international marquee signings.
The Bucs mentor’s comments carried a touch of irony, coming just a day after a narrow 2-1 defeat to Mamelodi Sundowns in a midweek Betway Premiership showdown at the FNB Stadium.
The deciding factor in that top-of-the-table clash was Colombian forward Brayan León, who netted both goals to take his impressive tally to six goals in seven games. Sundowns reportedly invested around R50 million to secure the mercurial striker.
The last three seasons, largely shaped by the foundation laid under Jose Riveiro, have defined a clear philosophy for the Buccaneers. Rather than chasing high-profile, expensive foreign players, the club has doubled down on its academy pipeline, integrating several graduates into the first team.
The likes of Relebohile Mofokeng, Mbekezeli Mbokazi, Mohau Nkota, Siphiwe Selepe, and Cemran Dansin have all emerged.
OUADDOU LIKES PIRATES’ POLICY
“The club has had a sporting policy and a scouting department for many years,” Ouaddou told journalists. “You’ve seen that we have a lot of national players, local-born players, which for me is something I really like.
“When a club is promoting young talent, especially when you have so much talent in the country, if you give them the opportunity to shine and maybe to become an even better player to go overseas, I think that is something Orlando Pirates is doing.”
However, the former Fulham defender acknowledged that this approach “can have some limits.”
“Of course, you can win some titles locally, but now we have seen this kind of model in Europe as well, especially with some clubs opting for local development. If you want to be a little bit more ambitious, it can sometimes be a bit difficult [especially] when you want to compete in international competitions.”
He added that “it’s a choice” he made as a coach when accepting the Bucs challenge. The former Moroccan international reiterated the need for time when working with a youthful squad.
“You have to understand as well that we have a young team, young strikers, and I just mentioned that it’s important when you develop players with potential, you need to be patient with them. It’s the philosophy of the club, and we accept it, but if you want to perhaps go quicker, you’ll spend R10 to R20 million, and maybe you will have someone efficient from abroad. But the philosophy of our club is to promote young talent in the country, and I’m sure there is a lot of talent in South Africa, and that’s a policy that I respect, but at the same time, you have to be very patient.”
OUADDOU OUTLINES PLAN TO FIX PIRATES’ LACK OF KILLER INSTINCT
Meanwhile, the Bucs tactician explained his plan to sharpen his team’s attack. “To instil the killer instinct is not easy because this comes from the mental…. You need to be hungry in front of the goal.”
“But how can we develop it. It’s part of daily work to work individually with the players to minimise the time of the decision-making, to create a situation of the games without pressure, but with pressure as well. You need to give the player time for the first touch, make a decision, adjust, and memorise the goal.”
He believes that working on these elements would improve the attackers’ confidence, which is key.
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