Not just the saves! Ouaddou reveals what makes Sipho Chaine vital to Orlando Pirates
For Abdeslam Ouaddou, Sipho Chaine is far more than the last line of defence.
Details: Orlando Pirates head coach Abdeslam Ouaddou has explained why Sipho Chaine occupies such an important role in his team. The Moroccan spoke after Pirates earned a 1-0 away victory over Namibian champions African Stars at the Botswana National Stadium in Gaborone in the first leg of their CAF Champions League second preliminary round tie. Tshepang Moremi scored the only goal in the 75th minute, while Chaine helped the visitors record another clean sheet.
Ouaddou stressed that every successful team needs a strong spine and leaders throughout the formation, with Chaine occupying the first and one of the most important positions in that structure:
“You see, in my game model, in the way that I’m coaching, I have always given importance to the whole team, of course, to the players. But you always need a spine, and the spine is the goalkeeper, the pair of central defenders, the six, the ten and the nine. And I need to have a leader in every line.”
The Pirates boss believes those leaders are essential to keeping the entire system functioning correctly:
“It’s important to have a well-oiled machine. You need to have strategic leaders in every line.”
According to Ouaddou, Chaine, Deon Hotto and Nkosinathi Sibisi must know the team's principles well enough to reinforce the coaching staff's instructions when communication from the touchline becomes difficult:
“Because sometimes when you play in front of 60,000 people, the players cannot hear you. Of course, we work during the week on the principle that we want to see on the pitch.”
The coach also made it clear that Chaine's leadership role requires more than calm organisation, especially when teammates lose concentration:
“And sometimes you have to be hard, you know, not have to be a nice boy, you know, to wake up people who are sleeping. Sometimes you need to shout. You need to wake them up.”
Ouaddou was particularly pleased that this approach once again helped Pirates leave the pitch without conceding:
“For me, I am a coach who loves goals and hates conceding them. I hate that as an ex-defender. So, today it was a good result. We scored one goal. We came back with a clean sheet, so I’m very happy.”
It is worth noting that Chaine played every minute of Orlando Pirates' 30 league matches in the 2025/26 season and recorded a remarkable 21 clean sheets. Pirates will host African Stars in the decisive return leg on Friday, October 23.
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Steven Perez
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