Ouaddou’s candid assessment: Are Pirates ready for new season after Spain tour?

Following their 12-day pre-season tour in Spain, Orlando Pirates head coach Abdeslam Ouaddou has offered an honest assessment of the team’s readiness for the upcoming season.

The Buccaneers wrapped up their camp with a 2-0 victory over Spanish second-division side Granada CF on Saturday, a much-needed win after a challenging series of friendlies.

The Soweto giants faced a tough start to their pre-season, suffering a 2-0 defeat against Bolton Wanderers FC in their opening match. This was followed by two consecutive draws against Pafos FC and Las Palmas. Throughout the tour, the Pirates scored three goals and conceded three, under the guidance of Ouaddou, who took over from Jose Riveiro last month.

The pre-season tour was crucial for the Pirates, allowing the new coach to instill his tactical philosophy and integrate new signings into the squad as they prepare for the highly anticipated 2025/26 season.

Speaking on SuperSport TV, Ouaddou expressed his satisfaction with the team’s progress, particularly highlighting the final victory against Granada.

“We have been waiting for the win [in the pre-season] for a long time, and it came at the end. I’m very proud of the boys. We played some good football [against Granada],” Ouaddou stated.

He further elaborated on the team’s performance and his expectations: “We created most of the chances even if we didn’t take them, but in the second half the guys came in and did the job. I think everyone had the time to play in this camp, and we can say everyone is ready now.”

Ouaddou emphasised his tactical objectives for the team, focusing on high pressing and compactness. “So what I wanted is to maintain the high pressing, and that’s what we want to achieve because we have players to do it. I’m happy about our compactness, the unity, and the bravery of my players.”

Looking ahead, the coach believes these attributes will be vital, especially in international competitions. “This will be very important, especially in the international competition, and we’re expecting to keep the ball more, better than in the other games. We need to find our players in between the lines and identify spaces,” he concluded.