Ouaddou Reveals How Pirates Plan To Replace Mofokeng’s Massive Impact In 2026/27
Orlando Pirates coach Abdeslam Ouaddou has admitted that losing Relebohile Mofokeng left a massive void following his remarkable output last season. However, he noted that their pre-season camp provided an opportunity to experiment with new combinations.
It appears Patrick Maswanganyi will step into the primary playmaker role at number 10 this coming season, having featured prominently there during the Buccaneers’ pre-season matches in Spain.
Mofokeng departed for Belgian outfit Royale Union Saint-Gilloise in a big-money transfer, which was officially confirmed after Bafana Bafana crashed out of the 2026 FIFA World Cup round of 32 against co-hosts Canada.
Mofokeng was in sparkling form for Pirates as they ended a 14-year drought to claim the Betway Premiership title, scoring 10 goals and providing eight assists across 27 league appearances.
Those stellar numbers earned him a clean sweep at the PSL awards, taking home the PSL Footballer of the Season, Betway Premiership Players’ Player of the Season, and Betway Premiership Young Player of the Season awards—the latter for an unprecedented third consecutive time—cementing his status as South Africa’s standout talent prior to his move to Europe.
Overall, the academy graduate departed Mayfair having racked up 125 senior appearances for Pirates, scoring 29 goals and registering 31 assists.
“Where I agree with your opinion is that Rele was an important player for the club,” said Ouaddou. “If you look at the data, the numbers, and his involvement in our chance creation, it was huge.
“But I believe it is important to find another profile that can perhaps take on a leadership role. We are not thinking about individuals.
“It is important to speak about the collective effort. That is what we tried to work on in Spain, using different combinations and different profiles in midfield while trying to find the right solution.
“But I think we can have a good answer this weekend.”
Pirates, who swept a historic domestic treble last season—becoming the first club in the PSL era to achieve the feat three times—begin their trophy defense for the 2026/27 campaign on Saturday when they host newly promoted Milford at Orlando Amstel Arena.
Ouaddou remains wary of a potential banana skin, acknowledging that Milford will be fully motivated to make life difficult for the champions.
“Regarding the opponents, of course, we know this team has just been promoted,” said Ouaddou.
“They have all the passion and motivation that comes with reaching the top flight. They have very good team spirit.
“If they managed to reach the PSL, it is because of that team spirit. For us, it will be very important to maintain the principles and values that helped us succeed last season.
“Of course, we must continue to improve in certain areas where we have to show our superiority quickly, set the tone, and demonstrate that we are still hungry for victories and titles.”
