Pirates’ Ouaddou: Last Season Means Nothing Now

JOHANNESBURG – Four straight MTN8 titles have made Orlando Pirates the team to beat. But new head coach Abdeslam Ouaddou is making one thing clear: none of that success guarantees anything this season.

The Buccaneers will host Sekhukhune United in the second leg of their MTN8 semi-final at the Orlando Amstel Arena on Saturday, with a place in the final and a chance to extend their remarkable run in the competition at stake.

Pirates have won the MTN8 in each of the past four seasons, lifting the trophy in 2022, 2023, 2024 and 2025. Another triumph would give them a fifth consecutive title and move them level with Kaizer Chiefs on 15 MTN8 victories, the competition record.

But for Ouaddou, history is not something his players can afford to dwell on.

The Moroccan-born coach, who took over at Pirates following the departure of Jose Riveiro to Egyptian giants Al Ahly, says the new campaign must be treated as a fresh challenge.

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“Every season is different. Last season was the past, we did well, but for me as a coach, I’m not living with the past. I’m living with the present. It’s another season, another season to prove what we did last season- fantastic. Everybody applauded us, everybody took a lot of rewards, we are all happy, our families are happy, but now it’s a new season, a lot of expectations. I always say to my players, we had the time to put on the suit, the tie and to be beautiful, now we have to put the overalls again and we go back to work and try to achieve a lot of targets,” Ouaddou told The African Chronicle.

The 46-year-old former Morocco international brings considerable African football experience to the Pirates job. He won 68 caps for his country and played in England’s Premier League with Fulham before spells in France, Qatar and Greece with Olympiacos.

His coaching career has also taken him across the continent, including a spell with Congolese giants AS Vita Club, a short stint at Marumo Gallants and time as an assistant to Djamel Belmadi with the Algeria national team.

That experience has done little to lessen his appreciation of the demands at Pirates, where expectations are high and trophies are the standard.

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While the MTN8 remains an important target, Ouaddou insists it is only one part of a much bigger plan for the season.

“We have a lot of targets and it’s one of them. The MTN is so important for the club, they’ve been winning it for a long time, it’s one of the best competitions in our continent. As I said before, very well organised, very good organisation, a lot of interest around this competition, everybody talks about this competition on our continent. Everybody wants to do well, it will not be easy because people chase you now and they want to win,” Ouaddou concluded.

The pressure will be immediate on Saturday.

Pirates need to navigate past a Sekhukhune side determined to end their dominance and keep their hopes of a fifth straight MTN8 crown alive.

Kick-off is at 15h30 at the Orlando Amstel Arena.