Orlando Pirates head coach Abdeslam Ouaddou has explained how the Buccaneers are navigating the loss of two key playmakers, Patrick Maswanganyi and Relebohile Mofokeng, in such a short space of time.
The Moroccan coach spoke about the departures of Mofokeng and Maswanganyi after Pirates claimed a resounding 3-0 win against Sekhukhune United in the second leg of the MTN8 semi-final, booking a spot in the final with a 4-0 scoreline on aggregate.
Pirates defeated Sekhukhune at the Orlando Amstel Arena on Saturday afternoon with goals from Thapelo Mokobodi, Gamphani Lungu, and Kamogelo Sebelebele, moving a step closer to lifting the top eight competition for the fifth successive season.
The Soweto giants will wait for the winner between Mamelodi Sundowns and Golden Arrows in the second semi-final to discover their opponent in the final of the MTN8.
After Pirates produced a mouth-watering performance against Babina Noko, Abdeslam Ouaddou addressed the difficulty of losing two talented playmakers in one transfer window, stating that the current players in the squad must step up.
Mofokeng left Pirates in the off-season to join Belgian top-division side Royale Union Saint-Gilloise, while Tito recently swapped the Betway Premiership for Bahrain after signing with Alkhaldiya SC.
The skilful duo departed Pirates after playing a pivotal role in last season’s treble-winning campaign, where the club lifted the MTN8, Carling Knockout, and the league title. Maswanganyi registered 10 goals and four assists in 34 appearances across all competitions, while Mofokeng contributed 11 goals and nine assists in 36 games.
WHAT OUADDOU SAID ABOUT THE CHALLENGES OF LOSING RELE MOFOKENG AND TITO MASWANGANYI
“We had very good profiles with Mofokeng and Tito. And for a coach it’s not easy to lose these kinds of profiles, but it’s the life of football,” Ouaddou said. “As I said, I wish them all the best.
“But now, the club must move and use the profiles [that are already there] and try to find suitable assistance for the players that are there. Of course, we want to play fast and with high intensity with these new profiles, but the most important thing is how we can limit touches in crowded areas where there’s a lot of pressure.
“We have to train them to make the decisions before receiving the ball. For me, it’s the challenge now to reduce the touches in crowded areas, so it’s a challenge when you lose key players, but my job as a coach is not to look for excuses.”
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