Orlando Pirates head coach Abdeslam Ouaddou has given his assessment of striker Tshegofatso Mabasa, sharing a candid take on the suitable style of play for the goal poacher.
Mabasa was on the scoresheet when Pirates claimed a 3-0 victory over Stellenbosch FC in extra time to lift their fourth successive MTN8 trophy on Saturday at Mbombela Stadium. The Buccaneers found the back of the net, courtesy of Mabasa and a brace from new signing Tshepang Moremi.
Mabasa and Man of the Match Moremi came on as second-half substitutes for the Soweto giants to influence the match from the bench. The left-footed winger, Moremi, who joined Pirates from AmaZulu FC in the off-season, has now scored in two consecutive matches after netting against Chippa United in the Betway Premiership before the FIFA international break.
Meanwhile, Mabasa opened his scoring account for the 2025/26 season after struggling for game time in the early stages of the campaign. The 28-year-old missed the first four matches for Pirates in all competitions as Ouaddou preferred Boitumelo Radiopane in the starting line-up.
The former Bloemfontein Celtic star has been a regular scorer for Pirates, having finished the past two seasons as the club’s top goal scorer. In the previous campaign, Mabasa scored 15 goals and chipped in with one assist in 48 matches in all competitions.
WHAT OUADDOU SAID ABOUT MABASA’S SUITABLE ROLE
After bringing Mabasa back into the matchday squad in the past few matches, Ouaddou says that ‘Sniper’ is a player who shouldn’t be expected to mark, and he’s best suited to play as a box striker.
“We had to find the solutions [against Stellenbosch] and I know the quality of players I have and I know the competence they have,” the former Marumo Gallants mentor said.
“I thought we could imbalance the opponents on the sides, that’s why I made the changes to bring players with speed, and it worked. And like I told you before, I brought in Mabasa because I think he’s a player of the box.
“Don’t ask him to go to defend on the side and press. He’s not that type of player. He’s a player that needs to be served and given balls because when you give him good balls, he’s very efficient.”
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