ORLANDO Pirates coach Abdeslam Ouaddou with his now former deputy Mandla Ncikazi.

Image: BACKPAGEPIX

Orlando Pirates head coach Abdeslam Ouaddou has pushed back against speculation of a breakdown in his relationship with assistant coach Mandla Ncikazi, insisting reports of tension within the technical team are unfounded.

The rumours prompted questions ahead of Pirates’ next fixture, with Ouaddou directing attention to the club’s official communication confirming that Ncikazi had undergone surgery and was recovering.

Rather than entertain the speculation, the Moroccan coach wished his assistant well and maintained that there was nothing further to add.

“The club issued a statement about that, he had surgery, so now he’s recovering, I wish him all the best, that’s all I can say,” Ouaddou said.

However, Ouaddou was more forceful when addressing the wider coverage, accusing some media outlets of manufacturing conflict where he believes none exists.

“We read many things about that, everything is okay in our club, the environment is okay, so people must not start to create any problems. There is surgery and I wish him the best, not to create problems. I read many things.”

The Pirates coach also referred to a recent affectionate exchange between the pair, questioning why their relationship had become the subject of negative speculation.

“Someone who is kissing someone on his head, you cannot start to invent any stories.”

Ouaddou’s comments were intended to shut down the talk of a rift, with the coach maintaining that Ncikazi’s absence is linked to his recovery from surgery rather than any disagreement within the technical team.

For Pirates, the focus remains on their upcoming fixtures, with Ouaddou making it clear that he does not want speculation to distract from the work being done at the club.