Orlando Pirates head coach Abdeslam Ouaddou has publicly thrown his support behind the nine Buccaneers players heading to the African Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Morocco, urging them to give their absolute maximum effort for Bafana Bafana.
No Time for Holiday
Despite the AFCON coinciding with a much-needed break for the rest of the Pirates squad—which Ouaddou noted comes at the “right moment” after playing numerous matches across the league and cups—the coach made it clear that the national team call-up is not a vacation for his players.
The Moroccan coach emphasized the importance of national duty and high performance:
“The nation needs our players; the nation needs fit players. I want them to give everything; it’s not a holiday for some of them,” Ouaddou stated, as quoted by iDiski Times.
Monitoring Performance and Confidence
Ouaddou expressed that he is not concerned about his players returning injured. Instead, he intends to closely monitor their commitment and performance during the tournament:
“The guys who are going to the national team, I’ll watch their games, and I’ll be close to them and will evaluate their performances because I told them, they must go to the national team and give 100% for their country.”
The Pirates players head into the AFCON camp brimming with confidence, having recently won their second trophy under Ouaddou’s leadership since his arrival in July. His immediate success has made him a fan favorite, positioning the club at the top of the Betway Premiership as they chase an end to their 13-year league drought.
