Mbuthuma should be eased back into Pirates team, says Sebola

Former Orlando Pirates striker Andries Sebola says Yanela Mbuthuma should not start this weekend’s MTN8 match against Sekhukhune United as the forward tries to recover his confidence.

Sebola was relieved when Mbuthuma was left out of the squad for Pirates’ midweek league meeting with Sekhukhune United. The Buccaneers won 2-0 at Orlando Stadium, with Boitumelo Radiopane and Oswin Appollis scoring to keep them at the top of the league.

Mbuthuma has come under pressure after failing to score in his five starts for Orlando Pirates this season. Sebola, who was known as Local is Lekker during his playing career, believes leaving the striker out of the starting XI is currently the best decision for both the player and the team.

“It’s good for him that he doesn’t play for now,” said Sebola.

“He must also not play over the weekend (in the MTN8 against Sekhukhune United). Maybe just give him the last 15 minutes, not starting the game. He’s under a lot of pressure, but I believe he only needs one goal. So that’s why he needs to relax his mind. He needs the support from the technical team,” stated Sebola.

Sebola said Mbuthuma should be used as a substitute rather than being asked to carry the responsibility of leading the attack from the start.

“But I think he’ll come back. For now it actually works better for his mindset that there’s not that pressure. They have to introduce him maybe late in the game. So that he can try to change the complexion of the game. If you remember when he joined Pirates, he didn’t just start the game. He was coming in as a sub, scoring goals. So the coach decided to give him a chance again to start the game. So for now he must introduce him gradually to build his confidence back.

“I think it’s good that the coach (Abdelsam Ouaddou) finally listened to the supporters, because the supporters were demanding him to be benched. Because they know that Sebastian (Pedersen) has just arrived and they expect a lot from him.

“The only thing that I’m still worried about is the supply. The supply is not yet there for the strikers. But for now I agree with the decision to put Mbuthuma aside. It’s for his own good.”

Ouaddou offered a different explanation for Mbuthuma’s absence from the league fixture, indicating that the decision was intended to give him a rest after a heavy workload and to assess the club’s other forwards.

“Mbuthuma, I think he had a lot of game time. It was also a moment to give him some rest and to see the other strikers as well. It’s very important.”

The KwaZulu-Natal-born striker has made 37 appearances for the reigning champions since joining Orlando Pirates from Richards Bay in July 2025. During that time, he has scored eight goals and provided three assists.

However, he has yet to find the net in his five starts for Pirates this season. Sebola believes a late appearance in the MTN8 could allow Mbuthuma to influence the game without facing the same pressure associated with starting.