Court battle looming as Marumo Gallants line up litigation

The Moroccan coach helped the Bloemfontein-based club avoid relegation in the recently concluded season, but things then took an unexpected twist just over a week ago when he announced that he would not return next season.

Gallants, having released a statement of their own saying the coach did not officially resign, are understood to have opted for litigation to prove that Ouaddou is still technically their coach.

They argue that he signed a new two-year contract with them just days before his supposed resignation.

Ouaddou’s initial agreement with Marumo when he arrived earlier this year was up until the end of the season, with a further two years added should he save the club from relegation.

Now the new contract amendment – which the public broadcaster is in possession of and dated 28 May 2025 – was allegedly necessitated by the coach being informed that he will have to be paid half of what was initially agreed on for the duration of the two years.

Speaking to SABC Sport from France, the 46-year-old admitted that he met up with club President Abram Sello in Johannesburg and did sign a new document with the cut salary, but says he had promised to meet him again on Saturday May 30 with an amended amendment that had the R1 Million release clause removed but the promise was not kept.

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“Things were clear, my wish was to continue the adventure with Marumo. We had agreed on an amendment that had to be finalised and printed by removing the clause since the club could not honour the first contract signed” said Ouaddou.

“The President promised me that we would meet to finalise by removing this famous clause. I tried to contact him by phone, by message to have the amendment cleaned up without the clause”, he continued.

“I never managed to get it unfortunately, he never answered me. This amendment therefore becomes null and void and the first contract signed must be considered”.

In the written correspondence that we’ve also seen, Ouaddou made it clear to Sello that the amendment can only be validated when the clause in question is removed, and the document is typewritten to be added to the original contract.

He also asks the club’s boss to put it in writing that he cannot honour their original financial agreement, after which he would sign the termination document.