When a new coach takes charge at Orlando Pirates, the spotlight is never kind, the expectations are immediate, and patience is often in short supply.
When Jose Riveiro first touched down in South Africa in 2022, many questioned Orlando Pirates’ decision to entrust their dugout to an unknown Spaniard whose coaching CV appeared thin by local standards.
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He had no trophies to his name, his senior career had been spent largely in Finland, and he arrived without any prior knowledge of the PSL.
Back then, doubts about his pedigree quickly took shape into the infamous “plumber” tag, a term that was later turned into a masterstroke PR campaign by the Buccaneers as Riveiro began stacking trophies and silencing his critics.
In three seasons, he went from being doubted to delivering five trophies, before landing a career-defining move to giants Al Ahly. Crucially, Riveiro was afforded something that is rare in South African football...time, space and trust to grow into his role.
Fast forward to 2025 and the conversation feels eerily familiar.
Abdeslam Ouaddou, a Moroccan football legend who turned out for Fulham in the Premier League and represented the Atlas Lions on the global stage, finds himself under scrutiny just four games into his Pirates reign.
Unlike Riveiro, Ouaddou arrived with both a playing pedigree and direct experience in African football. He even proved his tactical know-how in the PSL by saving Marumo Gallants from relegation last season, a feat that should have inspired confidence in his ability to handle the unique demands of the South African game.
Yet, after one win, two losses and a draw in his opening four games, questions have already begun circling around the suitability for the hot seat at Mayfair.
The irony is that Riveiro’s record after four matches was identical, one win, two defeats, and a draw, and yet the patience extended to him allowed him to lay the foundation for one of the most successful modern chapters in Pirates’ history.
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This raises a fair question: is Ouaddou being afforded the same patience, the same room to breathe, and the same confidence from both the club and its demanding fanbase?
The early criticism seems harsher, perhaps due to the shadow of Riveiro’s legacy or the heightened expectations that come with being a coach of a club as ambitious as Pirates.
The Buccaneers showed with Riveiro that a coach can defy early doubts if given a fair chance to implement his philosophy. The only question is whether Ouaddou will be judged by the same measure or if he will be denied the opportunity to grow into his own Pirates legend.
