Orlando Pirates head coach Abdeslam Ouaddou has addressed the notable absence of Sipho Mbule and Evidence Makgopa from the club’s matchday squad following their league clash against Magesi FC in Soweto.
The Soweto giants claimed a convincing 2-0 victory over the Limpopo-based side Magesi FC in the Betway Premiership at the Orlando Amstel Arena on Saturday night.
Pirates secured maximum points with two first-half goals from Yanela Mbuthuma and Relebohile Mofokeng, who subsequently walked away with the Man-of-the-Match award. Mofokeng was also the provider for Mbuthuma’s goal.
The win against Magesi saw Pirates move second on the log standings with 32 points, level on points with log leaders Mamelodi Sundowns. In addition, Pirates have one game in hand, and they could move to the summit of the table should they collect three points against AmaZulu FC on Tuesday at the Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban.
Pirates fan-favourite Sipho Mbule remains the subject of intense speculation after failing to make the matchday squad since his return from the 2025 AFCON. The talented midfielder has now missed both of the Buccaneers’ second-round fixtures, including last week’s frustrating 0โ0 stalemate against Sekhukhune United in Polokwane.
The gifted midfielder quickly established himself as a fan-favourite in the Pirates camp following his free transfer from rivals Mamelodi Sundowns in July 2025. A key pillar of the teamโs early success, Mbule racked up 16 appearances across all competitions during the first half of the campaign.
WHAT OUADDOU SAID ABOUT MBULE AND MAKGOPA
On the other hand, Makgopa missed the match against Magesi, with Mbuthuma starting, while January signing Andre De Jong sat on the bench before coming on in the second half. The former Baroka FC striker, Makgopa, featured for the Sea Robbers last weekend in a goalless draw against Sekhukhune United.
Pirates mentor Abdeslam Ouaddou has since spoken out about the Mbule and Makgopa omissions, stating that the duo are out due to the club’s usual squad rotation.
โIt’s simply a tactical choice regarding the profile of the opponent, you know, we have a lot of games coming, especially next week,โ Ouaddou said when asked about the two players.
โWe are playing AmaZulu, then we have the [Nedbank] Cup. We are going to play every three days, so it’s very important to manage the players.โ
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