Mandla Ncikazi praises Abdeslam Ouaddou's leadership skills

Ouaddou took over from Jose Riveiro at the start of the 2025/26 season and has helped the Buccaneers win the MTN8 as well as the Carling Knockout Cup and they go to the AFCON break as log leaders.

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Speaking to Victor Molefe on the Prime Time Sports Show on Ukhozi FM, Ncikazi says Ouaddou believes in African talent.

"The beautiful thing about Ouaddou is his religion, he is a very spiritual person. You can tell by the way he carries himself and the way he sees and cares for other people,” Ncikazi said.

“He is Moroccan, even though he grew up in France but he really is proud of his African roots and believes so much in the talent that we have in the continent and in South Africa.

“Most people will be scared to leave their home country to work in another one alone, it's actually the first time I'm seeing a coach who goes to a club as big as Pirates alone and actually becomes successful."

The Sea Robbers did not only change their head coach at the beginning of the season but they also beefed up their squad.

Signing players like Sipho Mbule from Mamelodi Sundowns, Oswin Appollis from Polokwane City, Yanela Mbuthuma and Nkosikhona Ndaba from Richards Bay, Masindi Nemtajela from Marumo Gallants, Tshepang Moremi from Amazulu, Sinoxolo Kwayiba from Chippa United, Sihle Nduli from Stellenbosch and Tshepo Mashiloane from Baroka FC.

Ncikazi says winning the MTN8 shows how brilliant Ouaddou is as a coach because he was very new at the club when he lifted the trophy and still had to use players that had just signed with Pirates.

"It is difficult to win the MTN8 as a new coach because it's the first cup of the season especially because Pirates had signed a lot of players. So, he had to integrate the new players very quickly to the squad so we could defend the MTN8,” the coach added.

“We actually haven't won this cup in a long time, the last time we won it was when Benson Mhlongo, Benny McCarthy were still playing for Pirates but we finally won it. “There is this good energy that he has, when you are a leader people see your skills through the organisation that you lead that you are doing a great job. He allows everyone in the team to have an opinion and he respects them, which is very important especially for a big club like Orlando Pirates."