Abdeslam Ouaddou explains Cemran Dansin decision | OneFootball

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Ouaddou on starting Dansin

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Orlando Pirates head coach Abdeslam Ouaddou has shed light on his decision to star young midfielder Cemran Dansin in their one-all draw with Mamelodi Sundowns.

The 20-year-old dynamic midfielder, who was promoted from the Dstv Diski Challenge [DDC] team scored a stunning volleyball to cancel out Peter Shalulile's opener.

When pressed on his bold decision to give the starlet the nod to start in the heart of midfield, Ouaddou says he drew inspirations from his playing days.

“Since I came in the country, it has been eight or nine months - I discovered that there is such big talent in South Africa and when you notice and when you have the eye to see some young talents in the country, they deserve to be encouraged, to push them, to build themselves,” he said.

"I know sometimes some coaches are scared to give chances to the young because they are scared about their position, if they lose they can be sacked. But as an ex-football player, I got the chance to play at the age of 18 years old, so I have seen a fantastic potential in that player since the preparations. We decided to bring him to Spain [pre-season] with us and he showed us a fantastic qualities in the friendly games.

While he is an advocate of giving the youth a chance, the Moroccan mentor cautioned against rushing Dansin, urging patience on the player but backed his decision to play him against Downs.

“But sometimes, like I have told you, I worked seven years in the development in France, you have to be careful not to burn these kinds of potential. So, you have to bring them step by step, it's why you have seen that I give him 15 sometimes, 20 minutes, 30 minutes, 60 minutes just to make him comfortable,” Ouaddou added.