Ouaddou explains omission of key duo following victory over Magesi

Orlando Pirates head coach Abdeslam Ouaddou has clarified the absence of star duo Sipho Mbule and Evidence Makgopa, citing a rigorous fixture list as the primary reason for their omission from the matchday squad.

The Buccaneers climbed to 32 points in the Betway Premiership—level with leaders Mamelodi Sundowns—following a 2-0 victory over Magesi FC at the Orlando Amstel Arena on Saturday night. Despite the win, the absence of the “fan-favourite” Mbule and striker Makgopa dominated post-match discussions.

Rotation the Priority For Pirates Coach

Mbule, who has been a mainstay since joining from Sundowns in July 2025, has yet to feature in the second half of the season following his return from AFCON duty. Makgopa, meanwhile, was replaced in the starting XI by Yanela Mbuthuma, with new signing Andre De Jong named on the bench.

Ouaddou was quick to downplay any concerns, explaining that the decisions were purely strategic.

“It’s simply a tactical choice regarding the profile of the opponent,” Ouaddou explained. “We have a lot of games coming, especially next week. We are playing AmaZulu, then we have the [Nedbank] Cup; we are going to play every three days. It’s very important to manage the players.”

Dominance at the “Amstel Arena”

On the pitch, the Sea Robbers were clinical. Early goals from Mbuthuma and Man of the Match Relebohile Mofokeng ensured a comfortable night in Soweto. The result leaves Pirates in a prime position to take the summit of the Betway Premiership should they defeat AmaZulu FC at the Moses Mabhida Stadium this Tuesday.

𝗢𝘂𝗮𝗱𝗱𝗼𝘂 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗰𝘁𝘀

Orlando Pirates head coach Abdeslam Ouaddou was left with mixed emotions following the Buccaneers’ 2-0 victory over Magesi FC at the Orlando Amstel Arena.

While happy with the three points, the coach believes his side left a bigger scoreline on the… pic.twitter.com/svor9aAlf2

— Pan-Africa Football (@PanAfricaFooty) January 31, 2026

However, despite the dominant display, Ouaddou admitted to having mixed emotions regarding his side’s finishing.

“My players started the game exactly the way we wanted, especially with the high pressing,” said the Pirates mentor. “We knew Magesi could come with a back five and not give us a lot of space, but we managed to manipulate the space and score early.”

While satisfied with the three points in their first home game of the year, Ouaddou believes the scoreline could have been more emphatic.

“We created a lot of chances in both halves. I think we should have scored three more goals, but credit to the players,” he concluded.