Former Orlando Pirates tactician Owen Da Gama has weighed in on recent comments by current head coach Abdeslam Ouaddou, which have cast serious doubt over the Moroccan’s future at the club.
Ouaddou cast serious doubt over his future at the club during a post-match interview, indicating he is unsure whether he will remain at the helm next season.
This uncertainty comes despite a historic debut campaign in which the Moroccan tactician delivered a domestic treble—clinching the MTN8, the Carling Knockout Cup, and a monumental first league title for the Buccaneers in 14 years, alongside CAF Champions League qualification.
Speaking after his side secured the title with a 2-0 victory over Orbit College FC in Mbombela last weekend, Ouaddou told journalists that he cannot commit to his future until he holds a formal meeting with the club’s management.
WHAT COACH ABDESLAM OUADDOU SAID ABOUT HIS FUTURE AT ORLANDO PIRATES
…”I am tired. I am very tired. To be able to steer such a massive ship, you need to be entirely fit. I will sit, think, and discuss with the management as well. I am tired. I am very tired,” he said.
“About next season, we will speak about what can happen. I need energy. I need power. Without energy, it will be incredibly difficult to continue down this path. We’ll sit down. I am speaking with pure emotion right now. It was a long season with a massive volume of pressure. We’ll speak and see.
“I repeat to you, it’s not about the contract, it’s not about money. It’s about energy. You need energy to lead this project. There are a lot of expectations from the fans, and I speak now because I’m tired. It’s been 10 months of working. I need energy, so I’m not able to talk to you about the future right now,” the Bucs coach further explained.
But Da Gama, who was coach of Pirates in the 2007/08 season, believes Ouaddou’s comments on his future came too soon.
“First of all, I would like to congratulate coach Abdeslam Ouaddou. I think he has done very well, I just think it was a little bit premature because it was obviously in the heat of the moment after winning the league,” Da Gama told FARPost.
OWEN DA GAMA SAYS THE MOROCCAN MENTOR COULD HAVE WAITED BEFORE COMMENTING ON HIS FUTURE
“But I think it is not a problem. He’s entitled to voice his opinion. But I definitely think he could have waited a little bit and cooled down with excitement. But he’s doing very well.
“He did very well at Marumo Gallants, but then he left, and now he’s at Pirates, and he has done well, and now there is a lot of uncertainty. So it’s rather unfortunate because he’s a good coach and has done well,” added Da Gama.
“They say silence is golden. So sometimes you just need to understand what the Pirates management is thinking and what they are planning, and you take it from there.
“That I think is very important. I always tell coaches to wait for the right moment, but I always believe that silence is golden.”
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