Former Moroccan international Abdeslam Ouaddou (44) has been coach of AS Vita Club Kinshasa (DR Congo) since January. Ahead of their play-off match for the title against Lupopo at the Stade des Martyrs on Wednesday March 13, the coach talked about his first few weeks in the Congo.
AS Vita Club claimed their first play-off win against Lubumbashi Sports (2-0) on Sunday, following their 1-1 draw with JSK. Are you satisfied with the start of the second phase?
It's rather encouraging.We have four points from two games, two behind leaders Maniema. We welcome Lupopo on Wednesday and Dauphins Noirs on Sunday at the Stade des Martyrs. We'll be trying to pick up as many points as possible.The attitude of the players is positive.I arrived in January, so they've had to adapt to my working methods, and they're reacting pretty well.
What is the club's sporting objective for the end of the season?
The season is far from over. It will come to an end in May. We're going to do everything we can to qualify for an African competition, the Champions League or the CAF Cup.
You coached Loto Popo FC in Benin before joining AS Vita Club, reputed to be one of the most popular clubs in the DRC. The change of scenery must be striking...
That's right. Vita Club is a volcano. There's incredible fervour, and not just in Kinshasa. You can measure this fervour at training sessions, where there are a lot of people, at our matches in Kinshasa, with a very full stadium, but also away from home, because the club has numerous supporters' sections all over the place. When I was hired, I was very well received by the fans, who are demanding and passionate, but so warm. It's quite impressive.For my first match, in a derby against Motema Pembe at the Stade des Martyrs, the match didn't go to the end because there were incidents.
How did you come to be recruited by Vita Club?
After my very interesting experience in Benin, I wanted to continue working in Africa, because I've always thought it was an exciting continent with extraordinary potential.So I applied and my CV caught the eye of Amadou Diaby, the club's new president. We had the opportunity to meet several times.I presented my project and was chosen.I'm very honoured, and I've signed for three and a half years.
This is a long-term contract, quite unusual in Africa...
Yes, that's true, but I'm someone who likes to be in it for the long haul.I'm a coach and manager, and my role model is Arsène Wenger, who did a tremendous job at Arsenal. The main thrusts of my project are to strengthen the sporting sector. I've brought in a goalkeeping coach, a performance analyst, a physical trainer and a technical assistant specializing in set-pieces. There will be a training center on which the club can rely in the future. And I've advocated an identity of play, valid for both the professional team and those at the training center, based on possession, taking into account the characteristics of Congolese players.
The club, which will see the official arrival of the Turkish group Milvest in June, seems determined to invest heavily in the club...
The club is very ambitious and has strengthened its various structures. Not only in sports, but also in finance, administration, marketing and communications. We're determined to make Vita one of the biggest clubs in Africa. The Turkish group Milvest (via its subsidiary Milsport, editor's note) will officially arrive in June, precisely to achieve this ambition. An ultra-modern training center and a 50,000-seat stadium will be built and owned by AS Vita Club.
How do you feel about the pressure surrounding the club, which is set to increase with the ambitions of the new Turkish partners?
There's always been a lot of pressure around Vita. As I said, it's a volcano, a very popular club, with supporters who want results. I know it's there, and we have to accept it, with all its excesses. I know that if we put in three bad results in a row, the fans will be up in arms and the coach will be in the front line. But we're also in this business for the passion, the pressure, and to set up projects and bring them to life!
