Orlando Pirates leave Thalente Mbatha out of TS Galaxy match after injury return

Orlando Pirates coach Abdeslam Ouaddou says Thalente Mbatha was rested against TS Galaxy because the midfielder had only recently returned from injury and the club did not want to risk a setback.

Mbatha made his first appearance since the World Cup when he came on against Aubrey Modiba’s Mamelodi Sundowns in the 2026 MTN8 Final at Moses Mabhida Stadium last Saturday. He had been sidelined for approximately two months.

The 2026 MTN8 final defeat suggested Mbatha had recovered strongly, prompting expectations that he might feature again when Pirates played TS Galaxy on Tuesday. However, Ouaddou chose not to use him as the matches came just two days apart.

The coach said Mbatha had undergone surgery after returning from the national team’s World Cup duty and had completed an extensive rehabilitation programme before making his comeback.

“When he came back from the national team, he had surgery and we did everything to bring him back in terms of rehabilitation and I think it was a surprise for you to see him in the MTN8 final,” Ouaddou said after Tuesday’s match.

“I was so amazed about his performance in the final. It has been a long time that I did not see such quality of Mbatha. High level, so we don’t want to take risks with Mbatha.

“He is an important player for us and we played two days after (MTN8 final) and we do not want to take any risk about him,” the coach added.

Mbatha’s return had been one of the positives for Pirates despite their loss to Mamelodi Sundowns, but Ouaddou’s decision reflects the need to manage the midfielder’s workload carefully during his recovery.

Pirates will now travel to Botswana to play Namibian champions African Stars in the first leg of their second preliminary-round tie in the 2026/27 CAF Champions League on Saturday.

The Buccaneers are aiming to reach the group stages of the competition and will look to secure a positive result before the return match at Orlando Amstel Arena on October 23.

With the two legs scheduled in quick succession, Ouaddou must balance Mbatha’s continued rehabilitation with Pirates’ pursuit of progress in the CAF Champions League.