Orlando Pirates assess Oswin Appollis injury ahead of Soweto Derby

Orlando Pirates will assess Oswin Appollis after the influential attacker was forced off during their 3-0 Betway Premiership victory over TS Galaxy.

Appollis was stretchered from the field in the 55th minute at the Orlando Amstel Arena after setting up the opening goal. The Pirates technical team believes the problem may be fatigue rather than a serious tear, but head coach Abdeslam Ouaddou said the club would wait for further medical information.

The victory was an important response from the Buccaneers following their disappointment in the MTN8 final at the weekend. Boitumelo Radiopane and Tshepang Moremi scored before Simphiwe Masilela added a late third to secure all three points for the hosts.

The result also kept Pirates close to the top of the Betway Premiership table. They are one point behind leaders Mamelodi Sundowns and have a game in hand.

Ouaddou cautious over Appollis

Appollis’ injury comes during a congested part of the season, with Pirates facing a CAF Champions League fixture before the Soweto Derby. He was also left out of the starting line-up for the MTN8 final against Mamelodi Sundowns as part of the club’s tactical management.

Ouaddou said the decision to remove the player was made to avoid taking unnecessary risks.

“It seems to be fatigue… I hope, I hope really because he is one of our most important players,” Ouaddou said.

“We have an important game now in the Champions League. We have the derby coming.

“For now, I don’t have all the information about that [injury]; I just did not want to take the risk with him. He is a very important player. When I spoke with him and the medical department, we just decided not to take the risk. We will assess him, and we will see tomorrow; maybe we will have more information,” he added.

The attacker has become a central figure for Pirates this campaign, contributing two goals and three assists in eight Betway Premiership appearances.

His creativity has been a key part of the team’s attacking play, making his availability particularly important as Pirates pursue silverware on multiple fronts. The club will now await the results of his assessment before determining whether he can feature in the upcoming fixtures.