Orlando Pirates coach Ouaddou replacing three important players

Abdeslam Ouaddou’s team have remained unbeaten in their opening four Betway Premiership matches. The Moroccan won three and drawing one to scoop the Coach of the Month award.

This is all despite the absence of Thalente Mbatha and Masindi Nemtajela through injury, while Relebohile Mofokeng left the club for Belgian side Royale Union Saint-Gilloise, who will play in the UEFA Europa League.

Let’s look at what these three players meant for Ouaddou…

THALENTE MBATHA’S MIDFIELD INFLUENCE

Replacing the 26-year-old Mbatha was always going to be a difficult task after his influential campaign last season.

The Durban native played an important role in helping Orlando Pirates move the ball from defence into attack, while also giving the team physicality in the middle of the pitch.

Mbatha averaged 55.4 passes per 90 minutes with an 87.2% passing accuracy last season. He also won 61.5% of his duels and completed 1.8 successful dribbles per match.

MTHELELELI MTHIYANE THE ANSWER FOR OUADDOU?

Ouaddou initially tried Cemran Dansin, 21, and Simphiwe Selepe, also 21, in the deeper midfield role before new signing Mthetheleli Mthiyane adapted to the system and established himself as the regular number six.

The 25-year-old, who is one of 12 new signings for this season, has been handed the difficult task of filling the void left by Mbatha.

MASINDI NEMTAJELA’S BOX-TO-BOX ROLE

The injury to Nemtajela, aged 25, created another problem for Ouaddou in midfield.

The midfielder had formed an effective partnership with Mbatha, providing energy, defensive protection and the ability to move the ball forward under pressure.

Nemtajela completed 48.1 passes per game with an 84.5% passing accuracy last season. He also averaged 5.8 contested ground and aerial duels won, alongside 1.2 successful dribbles.

ENTER THAPELO MOKOBODI?

With Nemtajela unavailable, Ouaddou turned to new signing Mokobodi.

The 23-year-old former Stellenbosch FC midfielder has fitted into the number eight position and provided the box-to-box qualities the coach needs in the centre of the pitch.

RELEBOHILE MOFOKENG’S CREATIVITY

The biggest attacking challenge for Ouaddou came when Mofokeng left Pirates.

The 21-year-old attacker was one of the most important players during the club’s historic domestic treble, finishing the campaign with 11 goals and nine assists.

He also averaged 3.9 successful dribbles per 90 minutes at a 67.4% success rate and registered 42 key passes. Replacing that level of creativity was never going to be straightforward.

DANSIN, PATRICK MASWANGANYI BEFORE SIMPHIWE MASILELA

Ouaddou initially experimented with Dansin and Patrick Maswanganyi in advanced positions before promoting academy graduate Simphiwe Masilela.

The 22-year-old has now emerged as the coach’s preferred solution to the creative vacancy left by Mofokeng.

Mthiyane, Mokobodi and Masilela have therefore become important parts of Ouaddou’s solution to the departures and injuries that affected the Pirates squad.

Rather than allowing the loss of three influential players to disrupt their start, the coach has adjusted his system and trusted new and younger players to step into important roles.

So far, the early results suggest that Ouaddou has found solutions to some of the biggest problems facing his new-look Orlando Pirates side.

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