Rare Scenes: Ouaddou Backs Rival Coach Da Cruz & Chiefs Development Project

In a rare display of mutual respect, Orlando Pirates head coach Abdeslam Ouaddou praised Kaizer Chiefs’ technical staff following his team’s derby victory over the Glamour Boys.

Managers backing their rivals after securing three points is virtually unheard of in the cut-throat world of professional football, particularly in a fixture as intense as the Soweto Derby.

Yet Ouaddou chose a different path, offering a respectful assessment of the work being done at Naturena.

“The technical staff of Kaizer Chiefs are doing a great job,” Ouaddou said. “We must let them work. Implementing their game model, these guys have a very good team, very good young players. I think in my opinion, they’re on the right path,” Ouaddou told the media after the game.

The Moroccan tactician went further, refusing to dismiss Chiefs from the title conversation despite the result.

“We don’t have to wrap them out from the title race,” he stated, acknowledging the progress being made under Fernando Da Cruz’s guidance.

Ouaddou emphasized the magnitude of the club his team had just defeated. “This is a big club. This is a big club with big fans and this technical team is doing a great job.”

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