Ouaddou defends Pirates rotation after Sibisi and Mbuthuma rested

Orlando Pirates coach Abdeslam Ouaddou says he rested captain Nkosinathi Sibisi and striker Yanela Mbuthuma to manage their workload as the club deals with a demanding run of fixtures.

The pair were left out of Pirates’ matchday squad for Tuesday’s 2-0 victory over Sekhukhune United at the Orlando Amstel Arena. Boitumelo Radiopane and Oswin Appollis scored for the Buccaneers, who strengthened their position at the top of the Betway Premiership.

The result extended Pirates’ lead to 10 points after four matches, but the main focus before and after the game was the absence of two regular starters.

Pirates were playing their third match in a congested spell that has seen them meet Sekhukhune twice in four days. Rather than risk placing further strain on Sibisi and Mbuthuma, Ouaddou chose to rotate his team and use the match to assess other options within his squad.

Sibisi has been a key part of the Pirates defence, while Mbuthuma has played a prominent role in attack since the start of the season.

Ouaddou said the decision was particularly important because several of his players had recently returned from international duty and were carrying a heavy workload.

“When you play three games in a row and you have international players, we have to be careful of the load, it’s our job to anticipate injuries,” he explained.

The Pirates manager has consistently emphasised the need for careful squad management, especially after a number of players picked up injuries following the recent FIFA World Cup.

Thalente Mbatha and Evidence Makgopa have already suffered significant injuries, while Appollis has also been handled cautiously since returning from Bafana Bafana duty.

With those concerns in mind, Ouaddou viewed Tuesday’s fixture as an opportunity to give some of his most-used players time to recover while allowing other forwards and squad members to compete for places.

“So we rested Sibisi and Mbuthuma. I think he had a lot of games so it was time to give him a rest and see the other strikers as well,” he said.

“It was the right moment to make the rotation because if I didn’t do it then I don’t know when I’d get the chance again.”

The victory means Pirates now turn their attention to another important meeting with Sekhukhune. The sides will face each other in the second leg of their MTN8 semi-final on Saturday.

Pirates hold a 1-0 advantage from the first leg, but Ouaddou acknowledged after Tuesday’s match that Sekhukhune had been the better team on the night. That assessment adds to the importance of selecting the right team for the return fixture, with the coach needing to balance momentum, recovery and injury prevention.

Ouaddou must now decide whether Sibisi and Mbuthuma are ready to return for the semi-final second leg or whether the players who helped secure Tuesday’s win have done enough to retain their places.

For Pirates, the immediate challenge is to protect their lead in the MTN8 tie while maintaining their strong start in the Betway Premiership. The rotation against Sekhukhune delivered a positive result, but a far greater test awaits on Saturday.