Orlando Pirates head coach Abdeslam Ouaddou has admitted that his own tactical tinkering was the primary reason behind Relebohile Mofokeng’s quiet performance in Wednesday night’s 2-1 defeat to Mamelodi Sundowns.
The 21-year-old playmaker entered the high-stakes FNB Stadium clash on the back of three consecutive Man of the Match awards, yet he appeared to struggle for rhythm as the Buccaneers’ title charge hit a snag against the defending champions.
Mofokeng has recently been the name on every South African football fan’s lips. His explosive form signalled the return of the “real” Rele—a welcome sight after a difficult start to the season where he lacked his usual clinical edge in front of goal.
This resurgence had the Pirates faithful dreaming of a first league title since 2012; however, in this midweek Betway Premiership tie, the spark was missing.
Ouaddou, who has successfully transitioned Mofokeng from the wing to a thriving Number 10 role recently, has now opened up on why the youngster stalled against the Brazilians, pointing to a tactical gamble that backfired.
WHY RELE MOFOKENG WENT MISSING AGAINST SUNDOWNS: OUADDOU EXPLAINS
Ouaddou stated that in an attempt to unsettle the reigning champions, he moved Mofokeng across several positions throughout the match—a strategy that inadvertently prevented the youngster from settling into the game’s flow.
“We’ve already discussed Rele’s quality. He’s a clever player who can cover two or three positions in the modern game,” said Ouaddou. “While he has performed well on the wing, I believe he is most effective as a ’10.’ Why? Because in the centre, he has 360 degrees of passing and movement options. On the flank, the touchline limits him to 180 degrees.
“However, we have to manage the squad and our impact players. Today [Wednesday night], we moved him around quite a bit. Usually, when a player settles into a role, they find their rhythm; shifting them multiple times can be destabilising. Moving forward, we should aim to keep him more central or stable in one role per game. While I gave him and [Oswin] Appollis the freedom to swap sides to surprise the opponent, I think we moved him between the ‘inside’ and ‘outside’ too often, which may have disrupted his game.”
Meanwhile, the Pirates coach also revealed his plan to assist Mofokeng in reaching greater heights. Ouaddou believes that by refining the player’s environment, the technical staff can unlock his full potential.
“To help him reach the next level, we must believe in him and simulate high-pressure situations in training,” he stated. “At the highest level, you have less time to think and make decisions. With his low centre of gravity, we need to keep challenging him to make those elite-level decisions under constant pressure.”
RELATED STORY: Sundowns sink Pirates in top-of-the-table clash