Orlando Pirates head coach Abdeslam Ouaddou has come out in strong defence of Yanela Mbuthuma, sending a clear message to supporters calling for the striker to be dropped: “I cannot kill a talent.”
Mbuthuma has been the Buccaneers’ first-choice striker for the 2026/27 season, featuring in all four matches across all competitions. The KwaZulu-Natal-born forward has started three Betway Premiership fixtures and one MTN8 encounter.
While Mbuthuma remains the primary option up front, his shaky start to the season—marked by missed chances and zero goals—has drawn sharp criticism from supporters demanding his omission from the starting XI. However, Ouaddou is refusing to bow to fan pressure, insisting that dropping the 24-year-old would shatter his confidence.
“You have two schools of thought when you analyse a game: as a technician and not like a fan. I’m not saying the fans can’t read the game, but there is a different vision from outside and the vision we have from the pitch,” Ouaddou said.
OUADDOU THROWS HIS WEIGHT BEHIND MBUTHUMA
“We can help the player [Mbuthuma] by seeing what he can do in training and in the game. I already spoke about this issue; the player is interested in how we want to play, and the amount of work he’s doing without the ball.
“So we cannot take out the good things that he does that are important for our team, even though at the end of the season we are looking at stats, data, and the number of goals.
“There are two thoughts: you take out the boy and put him on the side, and you bring him [later in the game]; maybe he can have some confidence, but nobody can predict; maybe you can kill his confidence.
“So we have chosen not only me; we are a team that is together at Pirates. The thought doesn’t come only from me. We are working as a collective, and we decided to keep the trust in him. If he wasn’t doing well in the game and wasn’t scoring, maybe we could decide to let him down.
“I told him that in the proper game, he’s doing well, and now I’m expecting the goals. So I wanted to be clear about that, and I hope people are not going to interpret what I’m saying wrong.
“He’s a Pirates player; we have a project, and we know that sometimes players can have some difficult moments. We are here to support them; they are our players. We don’t have a choice but to help these players; they are South Africans and young talent of the country, so I cannot kill a talent. In my career as a coach, I cannot kill a talent l. I need to keep on believing in him.”
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