Ouaddou Backs Mofokeng After Difficult Sundowns Display

Orlando Pirates coach Abdeslam Ouaddou has defended Relebohile Mofokeng’s performance and explained his tactical decisions after the youngster endured a frustrating Betway Premiership outing at FNB Stadium against Mamelodi Sundowns on Wednesday night.

Mofokeng arrived at the highly anticipated clash against Sundowns in outstanding form, having scored and assisted in each of the Buccaneers’ previous three league matches.

The 21-year-old had also been rewarded with three consecutive Man of the Match awards against Magesi, AmaZulu, and Marumo Gallants, underlining his growing importance in the Pirates’ attack.

However, the encounter with Sundowns proved to be a difficult one for the talented attacker, who failed to register a single shot on target or off target.

The 2024/25 Young Player of the Season found it tough on the flank against Khuliso Mudau and continued to struggle even after being deployed in the number 10 role, where he came up against the influence and physical presence of Teboho Mokoena.

Despite the quiet display, Ouaddou emphasised the player’s intelligence and versatility while pointing to constant positional changes as a factor that affected his rhythm.

“I want to talk about the quality of Rele, a clever player who can play in two or three positions in modern football,” Ouaddou said.

“Rele used to play on the side, and he did well, and we use him in many games as a number 10.

“I said that before, he is very good when playing as a number 10 because he has 360 degrees of possibilities to play, and when we have to play him on the side, he has 160 degrees of possibility to play because of the touchline.

“But we have to manage the team, we have impact players on the bench, and sometimes you make combinations.

“I know that today (on Wednesday) we moved a lot, and sometimes in a game when players switch positions, it can stabilise him, and I think we have to play him in one position in one game.

“I think we changed him many times, and that can really destabilise him. We have to believe in him and create situations in training where he is under pressure to develop him and keep him playing under pressure.”

The Moroccan tactician also turned his attention to Kamogelo Sebelebele, who was forced off in the second half and replaced by Deano Van Rooyen due to injury.

“I’m not a doctor, and I don’t think so, and I hope it’s not a serious injury,” Ouaddou added.

“I understand that it’s maybe the issue of fatigue about the cramp because that position is demanding in terms of activities, running, and defending.

“I have to check how many distances he did, and in the first half, we left a lot of distance uncovered, and maybe it’s because he didn’t run many distances.”

Pirates will now shift their focus to the Nedbank Cup last-16 clash against Motsepe Foundation Championship side Casric Stars this weekend.

Mofokeng will be aiming to rediscover the form that made him one of the league’s most decisive players in recent weeks, while Sebelebele will hope to continue his encouraging performances if his injury is confirmed to be minor.