Orlando Pirates debutant Sigomoshe praised by Ouaddou after TS Galaxy win

Bulelani Sigomoshe was rewarded for his strong training-ground form with an impressive Orlando Pirates debut, providing an assist in the Buccaneers’ 3-0 victory over TS Galaxy at the Orlando Amstel Arena on Tuesday evening.

The 26-year-old right-back joined Pirates from KwaZulu-Natal club Milford FC last month and was selected by head coach Abdeslam Ouaddou for his first appearance. He made an immediate impact by creating Tshepang Moremi’s goal, Pirates’ second of the match.

Sigomoshe was replaced in the 55th minute by Mthetheleli Mthiyane, but Ouaddou said the player’s early withdrawal was not a reflection of a poor performance. Instead, the coach explained that giving him a place in the starting line-up was recognition of his work since arriving at the club.

“Look, when he came out, I just congratulated him for the time that he spent on the pitch. He has a really fantastic mentality. For me, if I can have a lot of players like that to work with, I will be the happiest coach,” Ouaddou told journalists after the match.

The Pirates manager also highlighted the defender’s professionalism and attitude, saying those qualities had helped him earn the opportunity against TS Galaxy.

“Fantastic mentality, very professional, very respectful. He works very well in training, so we wanted to give him the opportunity to play today. We had other choices, we could have gone for another choice. But I wanted really to reward him about the work that he’s done in training since he came,” he added.

Ouaddou said Sigomoshe had initially been taken aback by the physical intensity of sessions at Pirates, describing the adjustment to the club’s demands as a significant challenge.

“It’s not easy to adapt, it’s not easy, you can ask him. He was just surprised and shocked. He was not surprised, he was shocked by the intensity of the training. He’s never seen that. But I just told him that it was the high level,” the coach said.

The next step for Sigomoshe will be developing the ability to maintain and repeat demanding efforts throughout a full match, particularly given the requirements of the right-back position.

“If he continues to work like that, he will be able to play 90 minutes. And to be able to repeat some efforts at high intensity. Because the most important thing in his position is to be able to repeat this high intensity effort and to give his body the opportunity to recover quickly,” Ouaddou said.

“So, I think this is the challenge. But today I just want to congratulate him about the time he spent on the pitch. He was good.”

The debut gives Sigomoshe an encouraging start to his Orlando Pirates career, while Ouaddou’s comments underline the importance of adapting quickly to the club’s training and match demands.