Orlando Pirates head coach Abdeslam Ouaddou has explained his surprise decision to start Oswin Appollis on the bench in their MTN8 final defeat against Mamelodi Sundowns on Saturday evening in Durban.
The Soweto giants surrendered their MTN8 title after succumbing to a 2-0 defeat to Sundowns in front of a sold-out Moses Mabhida Stadium. The victory ended the Buccaneers’ dominance in the competition, handing Masandawana their first top-eight crown since 2021 and securing head coach Miguel Cardoso his first cup competition win in South Africa.
Goals on either side of halftime saw Pirates yield their crown to the Chloorkop outfit, ending their bid for a fifth consecutive title.
Sundowns scored first in the 12th minute when Teboho Mokoena broke the deadlock with an easy tap-in after pouncing on Pirates’ lapse in defence. The Tshwane giants netted the second goal in the dying minutes of the second half from a penalty spot courtesy of Iqraam Rayners to walk away with the crucial win.
In a surprise tactical move ahead of the high-stakes final, Pirates head coach Ouaddou left Bafana Bafana international Appollis out of the starting line-up.
Preferred on the flanks were Tshepang Moremi and Gamphani Lungu, though Appollis was called upon immediately at the restart to replace the injured Kamogelo Sebelebele.
WHY PIRATES COACH STARTED APPOLLIS ON THE BENCH AGAINST SUNDOWNS
Ouaddou justified benching Appollis, saying he wanted to use the highly rated attacker as an impact player.
“You are right, he [Appollis] is one of the best players in the country and in our team as well, but you know when you are playing a game, you have a strategy to play in different phases,” Ouaddou said.
“You have to think about what can happen in the second half. We planned to bring him quickly in the second half. I think we did it last year, and you know how I’m working.
“I have players in the starting 11, and for me I have impact players. So today [Saturday night] he was part of the impact players, somebody who can change the game. The fact that we conceded early, but Oswin is a fantastic player; he’s a very important player, but today we took the decision to bring him in as an impact player.”
The former Polokwane City star has been a cornerstone for Pirates since arriving ahead of the 2025/26 campaign. He made 56 appearances across all competitions, registering 14 goals and 11 assists while playing a vital role in the Buccaneers’ treble-winning season.
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