In a stunning revelation, Orlando Pirates head coach Abdeslam Ouaddouhas admitted he wanted to walk away from the club after a dismal start to the season—only for the board to reject his resignation.
The Moroccan mentor has just guided the Buccaneers to their first league title in 14 years. Pirates finished on 69 points, a point ahead of rivals Mamelodi Sundowns.
However, Ouaddou’s tenure at Pirates started in far from ideal fashion. He lost back-to-back matches against Sekhukhune United and his former club Marumo Gallants in the Betway Premiership. The results left the Buccaneers faithful questioning whether Ouaddou was the right man for one of the toughest jobs in Africa.
But the 47-year-old quickly turned things around, winning the MTN8 and the Carling Knockout Cup before clinching the ultimate prize – the Premiership title in his first season in charge of Bucs.
Speaking after his side beat Orbit College FC 2-0 to confirm their title in Mbombela on Saturday, Ouaddou praised the club’s management for their unwavering support.
ORLANDO PIRATES COACH MAKES RESIGNATION REVELATIONS
“The two games that I lost, I am a human being, you know. Like I told you, I am working with passion,” he told journalists.
“You lose two games, you know that the work will pay, but you don’t have time. Like I told you, you have popular quotes in social media that are putting pressure.
“They want results but I am not a magician at the same time because I have 10 new players. They have a new game model that the players have to learn,” he added.
WHY ABDESLAM OUADDOU HANGED ON TO HIS JOB AFTER A DIFFICULT START
“I would not lie to people and day I will not get you the results. So when I lost those two games I didn’t have a choice but to propose my resignation to my management. I am an honest man. I am not chasing contracts or money. I am doing the job for love.
“If people don’t like me, what can I do? I just have to give my resignation and don’t ask anything. I shake hands and take my flight and go back to France. But I have a chance to be supported by fantastic people. They didn’t want to hear about that. They said no, we interviewed you, maybe more than five times.
“We listened to you and we know exactly that you are the man that can lead us to the Promised Land. So they supported me, they gave me the trust and the confidence. So credit has to be given to them, maybe in other clubs they would chase you after two games. But the result today is not the result of Ouaddou, it is the result of the vision of Mpumi, Nkosana, the father. This is the vision of Pirates.”
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