Orlando Pirates head coach Abdeslam Ouaddou has revealed that he does not choose the players the club signs, despite the South African side bringing in nine new faces during the current transfer window.
Ouaddou says the club’s established scouting structure identifies potential recruits and coaches, with the manager then expected to work within a broader football philosophy set by the organisation.
The Moroccan coach joined Orlando Pirates in a surprise move at the start of last season. Although he faced criticism during the early stages of his tenure, he went on to establish himself as a successful figure in the technical area.
He guided the Sea Robbers to their first domestic treble in 14 years, matching the achievement of Ruud Krol, who led the club to the same feat in 2011.
Orlando Pirates have become known for making significant changes to their playing squad from one season to the next, and that policy has continued during Ouaddou’s time in charge. The club has already completed nine signings in the current transfer window.
However, Ouaddou believes the club’s recruitment model helps rather than hinders him. He says that, because transfer decisions are handled by the organisation’s scouting department, he can concentrate on coaching the players who arrive and implementing the team’s playing style.
“The club is ninety years old and has an organisation on a par with the biggest European clubs, with one distinctive feature: the manager does not select the players [for transfer],” said Ouaddou to L’Equipe.
“The club has a highly developed scouting department with a lot of data. It adopts a playing philosophy and, consequently, selects players and a manager suited to that style of play.
“The players are the club’s choices, not the manager’s which makes things easier. I realised that it was much easier to get the magic to work,” added Ouaddou.
His comments underline the difference between Orlando Pirates’ approach and the traditional model in which a head coach has a decisive role in identifying and approving transfer targets. At Pirates, Ouaddou says, recruitment is driven by a department with extensive information on players and coaches, while the manager is appointed to fit the club’s existing football philosophy.
The Sea Robbers will now begin the new campaign with a reshaped squad and the expectation of defending their domestic success. Their MTN8 title defence is scheduled to begin at home, with Orlando Pirates having last suffered defeat in the competition in 2023.
The club has also recently shown support for musician L’vovo, who visited Kaizer Chiefs’ Naturena base, another story to attract attention among South African football followers.
Readers were invited to share their views on Ouaddou’s comments in the comment section, while The South African also promoted a winter reader survey offering a chance to win R5,000.
