Abdeslam Ouaddou leaps to defence of under-fire Mbuthuma

Orlando Pirates head coach Abdeslam Ouaddou has sprung to the defence of under-fire striker Yanela Mbuthuma, who is the subject of criticism from a section of the Bucs faithful.

This comes after the 24-year-old centre-forward missed several clear-cut scoring opportunities in the one-all draw against AmaZulu FC last Wednesday, sparking outrage as the defending league champions dropped points.

While the former Richards Bay talisman is enduring a goal drought, newly signed Ghampani Lungu has hit the ground running, scoring two goals in four appearances across all competitions thus far, much to the delight of Ouaddou.

“You can guess that I'm a happy coach when we find the net because I've been asking for efficiency since last season, so you can imagine that when the players find the net like that I'm very happy, it helps the team,” said the Pirates boss.

"And to know that we can be dangerous in the last third and that you have some players that can be very dangerous, I think it's very good for us. But not only him, I need to see other players as well to show themselves in the last third.

Despite Lungu and other attackers somewhat masking Mbuthuma's misfortunes, the scrutiny is persistent but the 47-year-old tactician defended the under-fire striker, highlighting his importance to the team's tactical structure.

“If I take the example of Mbuthuma, if you analyse the game properly as a tactician, this guy is doing well for the team, really,” added Ouaddou, who guided the Sea Robbers to a treble last season.

"Of course, now we are expecting this efficiency in the last third but we cannot kill a fantastic player with a lot of hope and a bright future for Pirates just because the guy is in a moment that's a bit difficult for him.

"We have to support him and from the bottom of my heart I thank the fans of Durban because the flowers they sent him today [Sunday] is a very strong message, you can see the boy was flying because he hears the fantastic words coming from the stands - it's what it should be like when we support the team.

Pirates, meanwhile, return to action with the first leg of their MTN8 semi-final clash against Sekhukhune United at the Old Peter Mokaba Stadium on Saturday 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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