Ouaddou: If you want to showboat, without me please!
by Thato Bosoga · KickOffOrlando Pirates head coach Abdeslam Ouaddou has slammed the showboating by his players and threatened to quit if it continues following their 3-1 win over La Cure Waves in the CAF Champions League, first qualifying round, second-leg on Saturday.
After a goalless draw in the first-leg in Mauritius, Pirates conceded an early goal scored by Ivan Ami but rallied just two minutes later to equalize through Kabelo Kgosietsile while Kamogelo Sebebele and Yanela Mbuthuma gave The Buccaneers a 3-1 lead going to the half-time break.
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But the rhythm dropped in the second stanza, as Ezimnyama started to knock the ball around without urgency to go forward and started to showboat with the sun setting at Orlando Stadium.
In his post-match press conference, Ouaddou was irate with his players for not burying the Mauritian side.
"The rhythm dropped when we stopped being serious, when we started to showboat. We have to understand that if we have to win the (CAF) Champions League, if we want to be ambitious to go far, we really need to understand that football is going forward," Ouaddou told reporters at Orlando Stadium.
"Football is scoring goals, football is taking chances. I was really not happy with the second-half. We need to be more serious, please, because to win the Champions League…we have the ambition to win the Champions League, we don't have to hide it, we messed up.
"It doesn't help the team, it doesn't serve anybody, it just serves the ego of the player doing these things and it doesn't help our team. What I want as a coach, I want goals, goals and that's it, it's what I want," Ouaddou fumed.
The former Marumo Gallants coach continued and did not mince his words regarding his zero tolerance for showboating, especially when his side is not running riot.
"If my players are satisfied with three goals, I think we lack ambition and we cannot go far, I'm sorry. I'm not going to lie to people. We must take this job seriously, football is about scoring goals," the Moroccan-French coach said.
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"The moment I will accept this showboating, I'm sorry, you know what, I will leave everything and I will pack my luggage and I stop training, because it will not be my word, my word is winning games. And if they want to continue doing this, please, without me!
"I will not be the coach, it's clear, not with me, I prefer to stop and maybe bring somebody who will accept the showboating. I will not accept the showboating!" Ouaddou stressed.