Orlando Pirates head coach Abdeslam Ouaddou says the club’s pursuit of more silverware is driven by an intrinsic motivation to represent the badge and supporters, despite the squad already enjoying a hugely successful campaign last season.
The Buccaneers claimed a domestic treble last season and will now begin their 2026/27 campaign in the MTN8 semi-finals, where they face Sekhukhune United in the first leg this weekend.
Pirates are also chasing history as they look to extend their record in the competition by winning a fifth consecutive MTN8 title.
With expectations once again high at the Soweto giants, Ouaddou insists motivation cannot simply come from external pressure or the desire for more trophies.
“When you are playing for such a big club, every game you must win them, there’s a lot of expectation from the fans, from the club, you have to be motivated to win that kind of game, more than that you need to have some arrogance, pride to play for yourself,” he said.
“I call it intrinsic motivation, there are factors that motivate you that come from outside, I don’t think it’s the best motivation, but when you find sources from yourself, inside to find the good words, motivation to go forward every day, it’s the best motivation.”
‘We owe it to our fans’
For Ouaddou, that motivation comes from understanding what wearing the Pirates badge means and recognising the sacrifices made by supporters to follow the club.
“For me, the best motivation is when you wake up and you know you are playing for this badge, when you know millions of people wake up sometimes at 4 or 5 to go to work for a salary to pay his ticket, because he wants to watch the game,” he explained.
“We have to think of these millions of people, to bring them the happiness, the joy – and this is intrinsic motivation that makes you work, train, be in the best shape because you are playing for a fantastic club, fantastic fans.”
‘We have more fans than the opponents’
The Pirates coach has also been struck by the level of support the club receives wherever they travel, with the travelling support often turning away fixtures into something resembling home games.
“Everywhere we go the stadiums are packed, and it’s the first time I see when I play away, we have more fans than the opponents, so we need to play for these people, they don’t come like that – they wait for you at the airports, signing,” Ouaddou said.
“When it’s raining, snowing, they are here – when I play football – I play for these people as well.”
That mentality will be put to the test against Sekhukhune, with Pirates beginning their latest MTN8 title defence this weekend as they look to continue their remarkable dominance of the competition.