Hope reignites for Orlando Pirates as Abdeslam Ouaddou leads the charge in the Premiership

Jose Riveiro was steadfast in guiding the upward trajectory of Orlando Pirates over the last three seasons, daring to dream while laying a solid foundation.His efforts bore fruit, integrating youngsters into the team — the club’s long-term investments — and securing five trophies during his tenure.

It was a near-perfect run that gave the Ghost, the club’s loyal supporters, hope that one day they would return to the pinnacle of South African football.

Enter Riveiro’s replacement, Abdeslam Ouaddou, who seems to have heard the Ghost’s cry for the most coveted silverware in the land: the Betway Premiership.

And guess what? He has wasted no time in promising the Ghost that — not in the distant future but this season — they will fight tooth and nail to end the club’s 14-year title drought.

The 46-year-old isn’t bluffing — he’s putting his money where his mouth is. He is already addressing the challenges the team must overcome.

The arrival of 11 new signings, including talisman Sipho Mbule, Oswin Appollis, and Sihle Nduli, excites Ouaddou, as it broadens the squad depth at his disposal.

But Ouaddou is not naïve enough to believe he can make everyone happy or challenge for the title with only the new recruits.

He wants to trim the fat from his bloated squad so he can focus more effectively on both regulars and fringe players in training.

And that’s not all — he knows he must build on the foundation laid by Riveiro, something that will require maintaining the core of the team from the past three years.

These developments suggest how the Pirates team will shape up, as Riveiro was largely dependent on a consistent system before gradually integrating younger talent.

Pirates fell short in their title challenge in the latter part of last season due to exhaustion, injuries, and a drop in form from relying on the same players.

But under Ouaddou, such challenges might not reoccur. The 46-year-old enters this role with a strong understanding of what it will take to succeed and find balance.

Ouaddou has coached in many parts of the continent, including Algeria, Benin, his native Morocco, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and South Africa.

Having longed to return to Africa after a decorated playing career — including a stint at Premier League outfit Fulham — Ouaddou now finds himself at a club where he can flourish.

He didn’t excel in his previous roles for various reasons, but the ups and downs served as valuable lessons, which is why he now feels equipped and ready to soar.

Ouaddou knows he will have to work his socks off to silence the critics.And I’m backing him to do just that, given his knowledge of African football, his playing and coaching experience on the continent, and his insight into South African football.

While Riveiro did well to endear himself to the football community, his lack of knowledge about continental football ultimately hampered his side.

His team poured significant effort into their CAF Champions League campaign last season, reaching the semi-finals.

But they took their foot off the gas in local competitions, which cost them dearly — missing out on both the league and the Nedbank Cup.

As Pirates begin their league campaign against Sekhukhune United at Orlando Stadium on Saturday, this could very well mark the beginning of a new dawn for the club!