Former Orlando Pirates captain Lucky Lekgwathi has admitted that Abdeslam Ouaddou’s latest threat to leave the club is "unsettling", particularly after the coach raised questions over his future at the end of last season.
Ouaddou once again put his future at Pirates under the spotlight after their CAF Champions League victory over La Cure Waves on Saturday. The Moroccan coach was unhappy with his team’s drop in intensity after taking control of the match and warned that he would "pack my luggage" if his players continued showboating.
It is not the first time Ouaddou has publicly suggested he could walk away.
After guiding Pirates to the Betway Premiership title last season, the coach admitted he was exhausted and needed to consider his future. He also revealed that he had offered his resignation after the team lost its opening two league matches, only for the club to convince him to stay.
Lekgwathi, who captained Pirates during one of the most successful periods in the club’s history, believes the latest comments will naturally concern supporters.
"As a fan of the club, I don’t like to see that obviously, it’s unsettling but we are all human with emotions," Lekgwathi said.
"I used to say things as captain and later regret them, and that’s a part of learning leadership, and I hope he really learns to know what not to say in the media and in the changing room."
Despite his concerns, Lekgwathi stressed that the former Morocco international continues to have the support of the Pirates faithful.
"Just like every fan, we are backing him and we know he’ll help the team win again," he added.
Ouaddou’s frustration centres on what he believes is a lack of seriousness from some players, particularly when they attempt to showboat instead of killing games off. But Lekgwathi believes the coach should not attempt to remove a characteristic that has long been associated with Pirates.
"My advice to him about showboating would be for him to embrace it because it’s a part of us, but also it’s important to look at the time and the score when players decide to do that because it used to help us in moments, whether to switch momentum of the game or ease pressure off us," Lekgwathi explained.
For Lekgwathi, the issue is therefore less about eliminating flair and more about teaching players when to use it. His comments also provide a timely reminder that Ouaddou’s latest threat comes against the backdrop of previous uncertainty over his future.
After initially suggesting he was contemplating his next move following the title triumph, Ouaddou returned for the new campaign and said he had "recharged all my batteries".
Now, his future has once again become a talking point — this time after a victory that secured Pirates’ progression in the CAF Champions League. Lekgwathi, however, remains confident the coach can lead the Buccaneers forward.