AS Vita Club head coach Abdeslam Ouaddou has resigned with immediate effect after his side’s loss to Stellenbosch FC in the CAF Confederation Cup second preliminary round.
Vita only arrived in South Africa in the early hours of Friday, just a few hours prior to their game against Stellies on the same day.
According to information gathered by this website, the DRC side were expected to arrive earlier than that but there were issues with players Visas and Passports, which led to their late arrival.
After the game, the Vita coach announced to the media that he is stepping down with immediate effect and the former Moroccan international wished the DRC giants all the best in the second leg against Stellenbosch in the second leg next week.
“I think we only started the game in the second half because in the first half we were still in the plane,” said Ouaddou, who also clashed with fans at DHL Stadium who threw water bottles at him at half-time.
“In football, when you are not organised, when the things are not done well, when the things are not clarified, you have to build the performance.
“I think my players were still in the plane because we arrived at 4 o’clock in the morning. I don’t know if you can imagine, 24 hours before the game, problems of visa, problems of authorisation.
“So I think I have to congratulate them, to be honest, I think they had a very good second half. I think if we came a little bit before like I had planned on Monday, maybe then it would be another result.
“Now, there is a second match at home, nothing is lost and we have to keep our chin up and believe, and a lot of teams have done it and we can do it. We have to congratulate the other side, and the coach, they work well, good philosophy and I’m not surprised what they are doing – when you have a vision of football, when you have a vision of a club you can see what you can see. So I have to congratulate them.
“Next week, I think they will have a very tough game but without me because it was my last game here. As a professional coach I cannot continue in these conditions to come before the game, not 24 hours before, 14 hours before!
“With maybe 4 or 5 players missed in that team because of passport, it’s a very difficult job for me. So it was my last game, I wish the best for my team next week because I think they can achieve it.”
When quizzed whether he would return to Kinshasa, he was clear on his intentions.
“No I’m going back to France, because I live there. It’s finished for me, I cannot work in those conditions,” he added.
