Abdeslam Ouaddou pleased with progress of Orlando Pirates youngster

Orlando Pirates head coach Abdeslam Ouaddou is pleased with the progress of attacking midfielder Simphiwe Masilela, who was promoted from the Dstv Diski Challenge (DDC) team this season.

The 22-year-old playmaker was part of the Buccaneers' pre-season camp in Spain, alongside fellow graduates Cristian Derbyshire and Mpho Padime, who was instrumental in helping the club clinch the reserve league championship last season.

Masilela has made eight appearances across all competitions for Pirates thus far, chipping in with a solitary assist, having been entrusted with filling the void left by Relebohile Mofokeng and Patrick Maswanganyi in the no.10 role.

His exploits in the Betway Premiership win over Durban City earned him plaudits from Ouaddou, who was delighted with the maturity in the player's performance after voicing displeasure with his showboating in the win over La Cure Waves.

“We have a young team, there's an advantage and an inconvenience. When you are young you have this freshness, the capacity to repeat efforts, you want to do well. So, if you see Masilela today, well done, I'm not asking more,” said the Pirates boss.

"This is the football that I like, this is the high level and I push him to continue to be efficient like that and to play pure football, and to leave these things [showboating] on the side, and to play football. I'm happy, I have to say it.

While the 47-year-old tactician is hell-bent on honing Bucs youngsters, he acknowledges that they are not immune to making mistakes, and highlighted the thin line between mental fortitude and success at the top level.

“My job as a coach is to improve young players to play this kind of football, but on the other hand they can commit some mistakes. So, it depends on the position you're playing, if you're playing a little higher as a midfielder or a striker it's fine,” Ouaddou added.

"But if you're young and you're playing as a defender, if you make a mistake there's only the goalkeeper behind. So, we have sometimes to push a little bit their development, accelerate their development.

"And for me the way that I've been developed as well it's not sometimes you have to caress the players, it took too much time, sometimes you have to push them - it's how I pushed [Lebone] Seema last season.

"And if psychologically you are ready to accept sometimes when the coach is a little bit hard with you, you're going to improve. But if you are weak psychologically because the coach shouted at you - and I'm not shouting at my players to kill them.

"I want them to be the best, I want them to have the best contracts, I want them to keep winning titles with Pirates, and maybe in the future play in Europe, why not? So, if I see these players performing I am the most happy coach.

Pirates will swing back to action with a Betway Premiership clash against Marumo Gallants at the Royal Bafokeng Stadium on Sunday, with Ouaddou's men looking to narrow the gap on log leaders Mamelodi Sundowns, who have played two games more.

Hlayisani Magoro

Editorfr, en

Football journalist from South Africa covering African football news, exclusive stories and key events while sharing insights with passionate fans of the game.

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