Orlando Pirates coach Abdeslam Ouaddou has challenged Sipho Mbule to fully focus on his career and live up to expectations.

Mbule, 27, has been handed a one-year contract with an option for a further two years by the Soweto club.

Bucs’ short-term deal could be interpreted as their concern over Mbule’s lifestyle off the field, which is well-documented, particularly issues related to alcohol.

Ouaddou, however, has thrown his weight behind the former SuperSport United, Mamelodi Sundowns, and Sekhukhune United midfielder, nicknamed the MasterChef.

“I like this kind of player who is not scared with the ball and wants to go forward. They are good with the ball, but you know there are some players that they need to be managed in a proper way,” Ouaddou said of Mbule.

“Of course he has the talent, but maybe from him, or I don’t know what happened in this gap of time, he didn’t manage his career well, or maybe his choices in his career.

“Maybe he was too good, and he was thinking that he reached the level, but sometimes the law of football is very tough; when you don’t respect football, when you don’t respect yourself, when you don’t respect the job, it can be tough, because it can call you back and show you it’s not time for you to slow down,” said the Moroccan, speaking to Pirates TV.

“I want to say to my players to take care of their bodies and their lifestyles and to know that things can go quickly in the right way, but quickly you can go in the wrong way as well if you don’t respect football. If you respect football, football will respect you. If you don’t respect it, quickly you can be finished.”

Ouaddou continued, “They are diamonds, but you have to protect them. If you put the diamond in the wrong place (you can lose it)… To come back to Mbule, it’s up to him. It’s not up to me.”

With the above said, Ouaddou has placed the ball firmly in Mbule’s court to get things right.

“He has to take this moment as a very, very strong message and luck to come back in a good club. We will be with him, and we will support him.

“He’s no longer a small guy. He has to manage his career and life.”

Born in Bethlehem in the Free State province, Mbule has played 169 games in the top flight since his debut for SuperSport United back in 2017, an average of 21 games per season, which could be considered very low for a player of such immense talent.