Orlando Pirates coach Ouaddou explains Moremi absence but stays silent on Maswanganyi

Orlando Pirates coach Abdeslam Ouaddou says Tshepang Moremi was left out of the squad for Saturday’s MTN8 semi-final first leg at Sekhukhune United as a precaution, but he has refused to provide details about Patrick Maswanganyi’s absence.

The two players were among the most notable omissions from the Pirates squad for the match. Moremi, a Bafana Bafana winger, had picked up a knock in the team’s previous game, while Ouaddou said Maswanganyi was not injured.

Ouaddou is hopeful Moremi will return for the second leg against Sekhukhune United after deciding not to risk him.

“For Moremi, he got a knock in the last game, so we wanted to protect him,” he said when asked by iDiski Times about the two players.

“And I hope to have him for the next game, we wanted to protect him.”

The coach offered no comparable explanation for Maswanganyi, making it clear that he would not discuss the circumstances surrounding the midfielder’s omission.

“For the other player I cannot say too much about the issue, he’s not injured,” he added.

“He was available but I cannot speak about something that I don’t masterise in.”

Ouaddou’s comments confirmed that Maswanganyi had been available for selection but was nevertheless not included in the squad for the first meeting with Sekhukhune United.

Moremi’s absence, by contrast, was linked directly to the knock he suffered in the previous match. Pirates opted to protect him rather than risk aggravating the problem during the MTN8 semi-final.

The coach’s expectation is that Moremi will be ready for the next game against the same opponents, although no further details were given about the nature or severity of the knock.

The absences therefore had different explanations: Moremi was rested as a precaution because of an injury concern, while Maswanganyi was not injured but was unavailable for reasons Ouaddou said he could not discuss.

Pirates’ first-leg squad selection consequently drew attention before the meeting with Sekhukhune United, particularly because both players had been expected to be involved. Ouaddou addressed Moremi’s situation directly but remained guarded when questioned about Maswanganyi.