Marumo Gallants Coach Abdeslam Ouaddou Confident of Premiership Survival

Marumo Gallants head coach Abdeslam Ouaddou is adamant that his side will avoid relegation and retain their Betway Premiership status at the end of the season.

Ouaddou, 46, made an immediate impact, guiding the team to a stunning 2-0 victory over Orlando Pirates in his first game in charge this past weekend.

Speaking to the media after their historic win at Free State Stadium, the former Moroccan international defender outlined his immediate priorities after replacing Dan Malesela and Molefi Ntseki last week.

“The game was not easy, as you all saw,” Ouaddou admitted.

“Pirates is a big team with top players. The danger can come from everywhere, so the challenge was to stop them.”

“You cannot concede 30 goals and expect to survive. That’s what I told my players—something must change. The first step was giving them confidence, then working on defensive structure and compactness.”

He added, “Even if you score three goals, if you concede four, you get zero points. The foundation for survival is solid defense and a fighting mentality.”

Players Committed to Survival

Club captain Edgar Manaka echoed the coach’s sentiments, highlighting that self-belief will be key to Marumo Gallants’ survival mission.

“Our 2-0 win over Orlando Pirates was a morale booster,” said Manaka. “We need to maintain that performance in every game and ensure we collect points.”

He emphasized that finishing in the top eight remains the squad’s ultimate goal, ending all relegation talk surrounding the club.

“We have made adjustments in the attacking department, and they are already showing results. We are sharpening every area of our game and remain committed to securing our place in the league.”