Pirates urged to find replacements for departed Mofokeng and Mbule

Former Orlando Pirates striker Andries Sebola says the defending champions have yet to find players capable of replacing the creativity lost after Relebohile Mofokeng and Sipho Mbule left the club.

Both playmakers moved abroad during the transfer window, leaving Pirates without the players Sebola believes were most important in creating chances for their strikers.

Sebola’s assessment comes after he watched Pirates’ league match against Sekhukhune United on Saturday. He says the team’s coach should field his strongest available side in the league rather than rest key players ahead of the second leg of the MTN8 semi-final, because points remain a priority.

“I was there at the stadium when Pirates played Sekhukhune United on Saturday, so in the league game the Pirates coach should not rest his best players for the MTN8 semi-final second leg; points are very important,” Sebola tells KickOff.

The former striker says Pirates need consistency while their new-look group attempts to develop an understanding. He also believes the possible departure of crowd favourite Patrick “Tito” Maswanganyi could increase the pressure on the club to promote players from its development system.

Maswanganyi’s expected move would represent another significant change for the 2026/2027 PSL champions. With Mofokeng and Mbule already gone, Sebola says the club’s attacking structure is missing a player who can link midfield with the forwards.

“Stick with your team until it gels, we can blame Yanela Mbuthuma all we like, but Pirates are still lacking someone who can supply the strikers.

“The downfall of Pirates now is the absence of Relebohile Mofokeng. Nobody can supply the strikers anymore. Nobody can play as a number 10 and supply the strikers.

“Oswin Appollis is struggling a bit to combine with the new players; at this moment, these players are not yet familiar with their new teammates. There are many gaps that Mofokeng has created. Also, Mbuleif he were still there at Pirateswould be the one supplying the strikers with balls. Even though, like Mofokeng, he cannot come back and defend.”

Sebola’s comments place the focus on the effect of the two departures rather than on one individual player. While Yanela Mbuthuma has attracted criticism, the former Pirates forward argues that the wider issue is the absence of a recognised number 10 and a reliable source of service for the attack.

Oswin Appollis is also finding it difficult to establish combinations with his new team-mates, according to Sebola. He says the unfamiliarity within the squad has contributed to gaps in Pirates’ play, with the team still waiting for its attacking players to build an effective understanding.

Mofokeng’s absence is particularly significant because Sebola believes nobody in the current squad has yet taken over his creative role. Mbule would also have provided that supply had he remained at Orlando Pirates, although Sebola notes that neither player would have offered the same contribution when the team was required to defend.

The potential loss of Maswanganyi may now encourage Pirates to turn once again to their talented youngsters from development, a route the club is known for using to provide opportunities to emerging players.