Orlando Pirates head coach Abdeslam Ouaddou has given his honest take on the struggles facing new signing Andre de Jong at the Soweto giants.
De Jong was in the starting line-up as Pirates were eliminated from the Nedbank Cup Last 16 by the Motsepe Foundation Championship side Casric Stars. The Sea Robbers crashed out of the last domestic cup of the current season after suffering a disappointing 5-4 defeat on penalties against Casric at Orlando Amstel Arena on Saturday.
Pirates failed to assert themselves against the second division outfit after Stars held them to a goalless draw in 120 minutes to send the match to the penalty shootout.
In a match against Casric, De Jong, who joined Pirates from Stellenbosch FC in January 2026, was in the starting line-up, leading the attack as a false 9. Ouaddou started the 30-year-old ahead of Yanela Mbuthuma, while Evidence Makgopa and Boitumelo Radiopane missed out of the match due to injuries.
De Jong has seemingly struggled to hit the ground running at Pirates, and a handful of the club’s supporters have started to question his qualities. Pirates are known for being high-pressure environment with supporters who are demanding top performances week in and week out.
WHAT OUADDOU SAID ABOUT DE JONG’S ADAPTATION AT PIRATES
Ouaddou has admitted that the challenge with De Jong is arriving in the middle of the season, where there is not enough time to adapt to the playing style. The New Zealander has netted one goal for Pirates from the penalty spot in his four appearances across all competitions so far.
“You know about Andre. When you come in the middle of the season, for any player, it’s not easy, but I think he’s doing his best to adapt to the team,” Ouaddou said.
“We decided to give him game-time [against Casric Stars], and to be honest, I think that he did well in what we asked from him. Of course, we needed the goal, but the goal doesn’t come from him; the goal can come from all the front line. His integration is coming step by step. You can tell me that we don’t have such time in a club like Orlando Pirates, but we don’t have a choice; we just have to back him, and not only him, all the new players.
Meanwhile, De Jong arrived at Pirates as a high-profile signing following his impressive run of form in the colours of Stellies. The talented attacker made 114 appearances for the Winelands-based side, scored 19 goals, and chipped in with 11 assists.
De Jong also played for teams such as AmaZulu and Royal Am in the PSL before finding himself at Orlando Pirates, one of the iconic clubs on the African continent.
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