Ouaddou Calls for Protection of Rising Pirates Talent

Orlando Pirates head coach Abdeslam Ouaddou urged for calm and patience regarding emerging talent Camren Dansin after his Man of the Match display in the 2026/27 season opener. Dansin, 21, featured 16 times for the first team last season after his promotion from the DStv Diski Challenge squad, winning the Betway Premiership Goal of the Season award for a spectacular goal against Mamelodi Sundowns.

A more prominent role appeared forthcoming under Ouaddou, as Dansin started alongside Thalente Mbatha in the 2-0 win over Milford, where he showcased a tidy display, completing 36 out of 40 passes, creating two chances, and contributing defensively with 10 successful clearances while winning 10 ground duels. Despite an energetic performance against the Premiership newcomers, Ouaddou stressed the need to temper expectations and hype in the media and beyond the corridors of the Sea Robbers.

"We have to be very careful. I have been in the business for a while, but the boy is doing well— we took our time bringing this young talent in. You remember last season, I didn’t hesitate to put him in a very big game against Sundowns, where he scored a fantastic goal," Ouaddou stated.

"He was with us in most games. We have detected the talent, but we must not rush this player’s development. People didn’t understand why it took so long to integrate him, but we knew what we were doing.

"At this same time, I want to be very cautious about the media and ourselves, not to elevate this boy too quickly because a career is long. He’s doing well, and we’ll give him all our trust and support to elevate him to the top level.

"The boy still needs a lot of work to reach the highest level, but at the moment, he is performing excellently. Dansin will need a lot of humility—he must not listen to what people say outside the club environment, as he can quickly lose himself, and we are here to help him.

"He must focus on his career, be serious, humble, and I believe things will go well. All the coaches, the club, and you in the media need to protect this talent."