Orlando Pirates head coach Abdeslam Ouaddou says the way Thierry Henry was raised shaped the way he coaches today. After his side beat Kaizer Chiefs 2-1 in the Soweto Derby, his fiery touchline behaviour grabbed attention, and he explained that it comes from a drive for excellence.

Ouaddou spent 17 years as a professional player before moving into coaching, and he knows what a club like Pirates demands. "It's not easy to do this job. When you played for 17 years and then decide to become a coach, especially at a big club like Pirates, you want the best for your team and your club. I am driven by excellence," he said.

To make his point, he pointed to Henry's autobiography. Henry, a special guest at the derby, reportedly scored four or five goals in youth games in Paris and went home expecting praise, only to hear that it wasn't enough. His father wanted him to score more.

"I had my friend Thierry Henry here. I was reading his book and he said his father was never happy when he was young, playing in a youth team in Paris," Ouaddou explained. "So, I'd like to push my players for excellence, to be better and better."

He also sees himself as an older brother as well as a coach. In his view, pushing players hard comes from caring about them, even though the fire he shows on the sideline is also the emotion of someone who badly wants to win.

So is Ouaddou's tough love the right way to get the best out of players, or does it risk wearing them down? Share your take below and tag a Pirates fan who needs to hear this!

Source: https://x.com/MDNnewss/status/2117320254921593326