Ouaddou Delighted By Mofokeng’s Return
Orlando Pirates coach Abdelsam Ouaddou was full of praise for Relebohile Mofokeng after the young star made a strong return from injury and showed his importance in the Buccaneers’ 3-1 victory over Golden Arrows on Wednesday.
Mofokeng, who had been sidelined through injury, made an immediate impact when introduced in the 81st minute, replacing Tshepang Moremi.
The 21-year-old attacker was involved in Pirates’ third goal at King Zwelithini Stadium in the Betway Premiership encounter.
He produced a clever flick inside the box that found Yanela Mbuthuma, who controlled the ball superbly before firing into the roof of the net to complete his brace.
The skillful winger had missed three consecutive matches — against Polokwane City, Magesi, and Mamelodi Sundowns — after suffering an injury in the Carling Knockout quarterfinal against Siwelele last month.
That setback also ruled him out of Bafana Bafana’s FIFA World Cup qualifiers against Zimbabwe and Rwanda, where he was replaced in the squad by Kaizer Chiefs forward Mdu Shabalala.
Despite his absence, South Africa went on to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, to be hosted in the USA, Canada, and Mexico.
Due to the same injury, Mofokeng was not included in Hugo Broos’ squad to face Zambia in a friendly at Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium on 15 November.
“About Rele, you know how important he is to the club,” said Ouaddou.
“We love that player. It’s fantastic to see him back in the team, especially when you give him just 15 minutes and he gives his best — even providing an assist. He’s a special player for us.”
Mofokeng, who was Pirates’ standout performer last season, has featured in 12 matches across all competitions this campaign. Although he is yet to score, he has now registered one assist, which came in the win over Arrows.
Meanwhile, Ouaddou expressed he did not know the severity of the injury to Sihle Nduli, who was substituted on the stroke of halftime after appearing to be in pain and leaving the field on a stretcher. Nduli’s place was taken by Thalente Mbatha.
“To be honest, I just finished the game,” said Ouaddou.
“I can’t tell you much about Nduli’s injury right now. I’ll have to speak with the medical department to know exactly what the situation is.”
