Orlando Pirates head coach Abdeslam Ouaddou believes his youthful squad has significant room for improvement but has identified the mental side of the game as a crucial area that could determine just how far the Buccaneers can go this season.
Pirates are statistically the second-youngest team in the Betway Premiership, behind AmaZulu, with Ouaddou also having to integrate 10 new players into his squad following the latest transfer window.
While the arrivals have added depth and quality to the team, the Moroccan tactician acknowledged that performing for a club of Pirates’ stature comes with a different level of expectation, one that can affect players’ decision-making on the pitch.
“I have one of the youngest teams in the PSL and you see we have 10 new players, it’s not easy to integrate at such a big club like Pirates,” Ouaddou said.
“You can be a good player at other clubs, but when you come here, the factor you have to manage is emotions. There is a lot of pressure, so I think I have good players. Of course, there is all the time a margin of progression, but where my staff and I really need to help them is mentally.
“How can I manage the pressure, these kind of games?”
Ouaddou pointed to the difference between his team’s first half and second-half performances as an example of how pressure can influence players, suggesting that mistakes are not necessarily a reflection of their technical ability.
“If you see the first half, it’s the same players that you have seen in the second half, but in the first half, a lot of precipitation, the weight of passing the ball, wrong choices, not because they are bad players, because they have pressure,” he explained.
The former Marseille defender, who also coached in France, used the contrast between playing for a big club and a smaller team to illustrate the psychological demands facing his Pirates players.
“If you play Pirates or Marseille, it’s not the same as playing for Lorient or Guingamp, it’s not the same,” he added.
“So, it’s the area that I hope I can help them as a coach, but maybe we will need even a professional, even a psychologist to go a little deeper. I’m not a psychologist…”
After securing their place in the CAF Champions League group stages, Pirates now turn their attention to the Carling Knockout – where they host Kruger United at the Orlando Amstel Arena on Tuesday evening.