Ouaddou Issues Injury Update
Orlando Pirates coach Abdeslam Ouaddou has provided a sobering update on the recovery of Sihle Nduli and Thapelo Xoki, suggesting the senior pair may not return before the end of the campaign.
The Buccaneers have been without Nduli for several months after the midfielder, who was signed during the off-season from Stellenbosch ahead of the current campaign, suffered a foot injury in November 2025 during a Betway Premiership clash against Golden Arrows in Durban.
Xoki, meanwhile, is yet to feature this season following a serious injury sustained in August last year in a road traffic accident on the R21 highway in the Eastern Cape.
The incident occurred while the team was travelling back to Johannesburg after defeating Chippa United. The accident also left Ouaddou, goalkeeper coach Tyron Damons, and another member of the technical team injured, highlighting the severity of the situation.
“Nduli is doing well; he is in rehabilitation now,” Ouaddou said.
“It is very important to stay close to this kind of player, not only him, but Tapelo Xoki as well. They are part of our senior players, they are experienced players and they are both doing well, and they are starting to come back on the pitch.
“They are working, and they are also on track, but I can’t tell you whether we will have them before the season ends because they had very serious injuries. So, the most important thing is to make a very good rehabilitation to come back stronger.”
Looking ahead to their next Betway Premiership clash against Richards Bay at the sold-out Umhlathuze Sports Complex on Friday, the Moroccan tactician emphasised the importance of rotating his squad to maintain freshness.
“It is (squad rotation) something that people don’t understand – the vision and implication of the coach, especially when playing games like this in a row,” he added.
“Of course, when you are winning 3-0, you have a thought with the next game on what changes we can make to preserve the legs of the boys.
“To win the league, we have to be smart because it is a marathon, so we have to be very clever in terms of how we manage our players.”
