Orlando Pirates head coach Abdeslam Ouaddou has explained why Kabelo Dlamini has been missing in action for the club in the past few matches.
Pirates coach provided an update on Dlamini following their shocking 5-4 defeat on penalties against Motsepe Foundation Championship side Casric Stars in the Nedbank Cup at Orlando Amstel Arena on Saturday.
The Soweto giants crashed out of the Last 16 of the Nedbank Cup, ending their hopes of winning all domestic trophies on offer in the current 2025/26 season.
Pirates endured a frustrating outing against Casric, failing to score as the match finished goalless in 120 minutes. In the penalty shootout, the Sea Robbers proved to be wasteful, with three of their players missing from the spot.
The Buccaneers followed big clubs such as Kaizer Chiefs and Mamelodi Sundowns, who have also been eliminated from the competition.
DLAMINI LAST FEATURED FOR PIRATES IN NOVEMBER 2025
In a match against the Mpumalanga-based side, Pirates fielded a relatively strong squad; however, they could not stamp their superiority to advance to the next round of the Nedbank Cup. Meanwhile, Kabelo Dlamini remained a notable absentee from the matchday squad, with Patrick Maswanganyi starting in the number 10 role.
The talented midfielder has struggled for game-time in the current campaign, and he last featured for the club in Pirates’ 2-0 win over Durban City FC in the Betway Premiership on the 29th of November 2025. This season, the former Bloemfontein Celtic star featured in nine appearances across all competitions and provided two assists.
With supporters raising questions over the absence of Dlamini, Ouaddou has revealed that the highly-rated attacker is currently nursing an injury.
“Dlamini is injured at the moment. I don’t know if you know about that, I think it has been three weeks of having an injury, but he’s coming back, he’s on rehabilitation,” Ouaddou said.
RELATED STORY: Why Mokwena sees Kabelo Dlamini as option for Bafana Bafana