Pirates’ Ouaddou vows to revive ‘Happy People’ spirit

ORLANDO Pirates coach Abdeslam Ouaddou concedes the club’s fans are not living up to their ‘Happy People’ moniker at the moment — something he and the team are determined to change.

- MIHLALI BALEKA

Pirates were expected to start the season strongly, and early signs supported those expectations after they progressed to the MTN8 semifinals.

However, that promising start has proven to be a false alarm so far. The Buccaneers began their Betway Premiership campaign on a sour note, losing their first two games.

Those defeats have increased the pressure on Ouaddou to turn things around quickly or risk being sacked even before the quarter mark of the campaign. Speaking during the pre-match press conference ahead of their MTN8 semifinal first-leg clash at home to Mamelodi Sundowns on Saturday afternoon, Ouaddou acknowledged the supporters’ frustrations.

"I understand the frustrations of our fans. They are Happy People, and they love the club,’ Ouaddou said.