‘We may need a psychologist!’ Ouaddou identifies Orlando Pirates’ hidden Champions League problem
Ouaddou wants Orlando Pirates to win the battle in their heads before Africa’s biggest nights.
Details: Orlando Pirates head coach Abdeslam Ouaddou believes mental strength is one of the main areas his squad must improve if they are to seriously challenge for the CAF Champions League. The coach stressed that he has one of the youngest squads in the PSL and around ten new players are still adapting to the demands of representing such a major club. As Ouaddou put it, “there’s a lot of pressure.”
Ouaddou insisted that technical quality alone will not be enough at the highest level of African football, saying that “we really have to help them mentally.” He pointed to the contrast between his players’ performances in the first and second halves as evidence of how emotions and pressure can influence the same group during a single match.
The Pirates boss even admitted that specialist support could become part of the solution.
“Maybe we may need a sports psychologist,” Ouaddou said, adding that while he hopes to guide the players himself, a professional in that field could go deeper into the mental side of their development.
Pirates secured their place in the CAF Champions League group stage after defeating African Stars 4-0 in Johannesburg and completing a 5-0 aggregate victory. It is worth noting that Orlando Pirates have won Africa’s premier club competition once, lifting the trophy in 1995, and also reached the semifinals in the 2024/25 campaign.
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Steven Perez
Dailysports's expert
