Ouaddou hails Mabasa after historic 50th goal for Pirates

Orlando Pirates head coach Abdeslam Ouaddou has pulled back the curtain on the key quality he believes defines striker Tshegofatso Mabasa, attributing the player’s recent 50th goal milestone to his selfless attitude and dedication to the squad.

Mabasa, often nicknamed the ‘Sniper,’ reached the significant marker on Tuesday night, sealing the Buccaneers’ crucial 2-0 victory over TS Galaxy at Orlando Stadium in the Betway Premiership.

Coming off the bench, the Bafana Bafana international hammered home the second goal in the 90th minute, adding to Evidence Makgopa’s first-half penalty strike. The win lifted Pirates into third position on the league table with 15 points from seven matches, bolstering a commanding run that has seen the club go unbeaten in their last 10 matches across all competitions.

50 – Tshegofatso Mabasa has now scored 50 goals for Orlando Pirates (all comps), only the second player to net 50+ for the club in the PSL era after Benedict Vilakazi (58). Landmark. pic.twitter.com/taMbspbFJb

— OptaJabu (@OptaJabu) September 30, 2025

The Mabasa Defining Trait

Mabasa’s achievement is historic, making him only the second player in the club’s history to net 50 goals, and placing him just eight strikes shy of legendary goal-scorer Benedict Vilakazi’s all-time record of 58.

However, for Ouaddou, the true value of the former Bloemfontein Celtic star lies beyond the stats.

“First of all, I’m happy for him, I’m happy that Mabasa scored, it shows the fantastic team spirit in this player,” Ouaddou stated, expressing his delight with the striker’s record.

The coach elaborated, detailing Mabasa’s commitment even during periods when he wasn’t starting: “Like I said, at the beginning of the season, he was not playing, but you can see that he has 100% involvement in training. He’s very professional, all the time he’s advising his teammates, getting close to them, and he has a clean heart.”

Ouaddou offered a rare glimpse into the dressing room to prove his point, revealing a moment where Mabasa prioritised the collective good:

“If I can go a little bit deep, I can tell you that one time I wanted to bring him on the pitch, and he told me to bring in Masindi [Nemtajela]. So he was pushing for his teammate to play instead of him.”

This inherent selflessness, the coach explained, is why he wasn’t surprised by reports of Mabasa encouraging Makgopa to take the penalty, even with his own milestone on the horizon. “I’m very happy about the spirit of everyone,” Ouaddou concluded, underlining that the team’s impressive form is built on this unified mentality.

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