Abdeslam Ouaddou identifies Mofokeng replacement

Orlando Pirates head coach Abdeslam Ouaddou has earmarked attacking midfielder Patrick Maswanganyi as the ideal replacement for Relebohile Mofokeng in the no.10 role.

The 21-year-old attacker completed his long-awaited move to Europe, joining Belgian Pro League outfit Union Saint-Gilloise on a four-year deal with an option to extend after helping the Buccaneers win a treble last season.

Maswanganyi, as a result, has since been deployed in the no.10 role this campaign, chipping in with one goal and as many assists in four matches across all competitions.

Ouaddou is impressed with the playmaker's output as the creative force thus far, revealing that persistent video sessions were undertaken in a bid to improve the player's game as the 2026/27 season gathers steam.

“Everybody who understands and knows football can see fantastic qualities on Tito. As long he brings the game in his favour to play forward, it's what we have been saying to him, he can help the team and he can be the link between the defenders and the strikers,” said the Pirates boss.

"Not only that, he's able to feed in the last third but he's somebody who's able to score as well. So, I think he has a lot of talent and he knows it, we sat with him and spoke a lot about which area he needs to occupy in order to be more efficient.

"We did a lot of video sessions with him as well, and he's a clever boy, he knows exactly what we are expecting from him and he showed it today [vs Chippa United]. I hope we will have this consistency because he's a key player for Pirates.

The 47-year-old tactician says Maswanganyi has a major role to play in the absence of Mofokeng, and expressed delight with the 28-year-old's conduct and work rate in training.

“And with the departure of Rele he has a big space there to play and a very big role to play for our club. But I'm very happy about his preparations since the beginning of the season, I'm very happy about how he's training, about his attitude, and it's what I'm asking from my players,” Ouaddou added.

"The work starts in training and not during the weekend during the game, the work starts in training at the beginning of the week.

Pirates, meanwhile, swing back to action with the first leg of their MTN8 semi-final clash against Sekhukhune United at the Old Peter Mokaba Stadium on Sunday afternoon.

Hlayisani Magoro

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Football journalist from South Africa covering African football news, exclusive stories and key events while sharing insights with passionate fans of the game.

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