Ouaddou: Why I Substituted Maswanganyi Early
Orlando Pirates coach Abdeslam Ouaddou has revealed why he made the bold decision to substitute Patrick Maswanganyi just 36 minutes into the MTN8 semifinal second leg against Mamelodi Sundowns.
According to Ouaddou, the midfielder was simply “not having a good day.”
Just 36 minutes into the match, Ouaddou and his coaching staff made a decisive move, replacing Maswanganyi with Bandile Shandu at Lucas Moripe Stadium on Saturday.
This was a tactical change. Shandu moved to right back, which allowed Kamogelo Sebelebele to shift to the right wing and Relebohile Mofokeng to take over the number 10 role from Maswanganyi. Oswin Appollis, who was on the right, then moved to the left to fill Mofokeng’s former position.
The changes paid off. Appollis’ cross was controlled and turned by Tshegofatso Mabasa, which was then finished by Sebelebele from close range. This goal canceled out Iqraam Rayners’ earlier strike, bringing the aggregate score to 2-2.
Sebelebele had also scored against Sundowns in the first leg at Orlando Stadium the previous weekend while playing in an advanced position.
Ouaddou defended his decision, emphasizing Maswanganyi’s importance to the team. “We have to be careful about that because Patrick is one of our best players,” he said.
“He is a top player. He has been doing well for a long time at the club; I believe in him.”
Drawing on his own experience, Ouaddou added, “Sometimes in football, especially for me since I have been a professional for 17 years, I can tell you how many times a coach took me off because I wasn’t having a good day.
“It doesn’t mean that I was a bad player; it just means maybe today (on Saturday) was not his day. But I still believe in him; he is a very important player for our club. We don’t know; maybe he will be a regular starter in the final. Today, it just was not his day. It was a tactical choice.”
Ultimately, Pirates won 4-1 on penalties and will now face Stellenbosch in the final on 13 September. The venue for the match has yet to be announced by the PSL.
The Soweto Giants are aiming to win this tournament for the fourth consecutive time, which would set a new record.
