Orlando Pirates head coach Abdeslam Ouaddou says the club has been experimenting with various midfield combinations in an effort to seamlessly transition into life without talismanic playmaker Relebohile Mofokeng.
The Bafana Bafana star departed the Soweto giants after four influential seasons with the senior team, completing a high-profile move to Belgian top-flight outfit Royale Union Saint-Gilloise. The 21-year-old left the Buccaneers after firmly establishing himself as a cornerstone of the squad, particularly during their triumphant Betway Premiership title campaign last season.
Now, Ouaddou faces the challenging task of addressing the void left by the elusive creative engine. Pirates are gearing up to defend their domestic treble—having captured the league title, the MTN8, and the Carling Knockout Cup—while also aiming for a stronger showing in the CAF Champions League following their failure to reach the group stages last term.
CREATIVE OPTIONS UNDER THE MICROSCOPE AT ORLANDO PIRATES
Intriguingly, Ouaddou opted against signing a direct, traditional number 10 during the transfer window to replace Mofokeng. While the Buccaneers had earmarked Cape Town City FC’s Emile Witbooi as a potential successor, FARPost can reveal that Pirates have cooled their interest after learning it would take a transfer fee of approximately R18.6 million to secure the highly rated youngster’s services.
This also comes at a time when the Buccaneers parted ways with Sipho Mbule, who has completed a move to Iraqi club Zakho SC. The tactical situation leaves Patrick Maswanganyi as the most prominent senior playmaker in the squad, alongside Kabelo Dlamini, another natural option in the advanced midfield role. However, Dlamini’s long-term future at the club remains uncertain.
The departure of Mofokeng—who capped off a stellar campaign by sweeping the 2025/26 PSL Footballer of the Season, Players’ Player of the Season, and Young Player of the Season awards—leaves a massive statistical void to fill. Betway Premiership newcomers Milford FC will be the first side to test Pirates in a competitive fixture to evaluate how effective these new midfield adjustments will be in practice.
Speaking to the media at Rand Stadium on Tuesday, Ouaddou emphasised that solving Mofokeng’s absence relies heavily on collective tactical synergy rather than relying on a single individual.
“Rele was an important player for the club. If you can just see the data, his involvement in our chance creation, it was huge,” Ouaddou explained.
“It’s important to find the profile that maybe can take the lead. But as you know, we are not speaking about individuals all the time; it’s important to speak about the collective.
“So, it’s what we tried to work on in Spain, new combinations, a lot of different profiling in midfield, trying to see. But I think we can have a good answer this weekend [against Milford FC].
The Soweto giants will kick off the new season and begin their league title defence against newcomers Milford FC at the Orlando Amstel Arena on Saturday, with kick-off scheduled for 15:00.
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