Orlando Pirates boss Abdeslam Ouaddou addresses Mofokeng blow
Interview
Orlando Pirates head coach Abdeslam Ouaddou has explained how the team intends to cope without the reliable services of Relebohile Mofokeng in the 2026/27 campaign.
The 21-year-old Bafana international has signed for Belgian Pro League outfit Union Saint-Gilloise on a four-year deal that runs until June 2030, with a one-year club option.
He departed on the heels of helping Pirates clinch a domestic treble which includes the Betway Premiership title last season, scoring 11 goals with nine assists in all competitions.
With the new season fast approaching, the Sea Robbers are braced for life without Mofokeng pulling the strings as the creative force, both as a no.10 and as a winger.
“Rele was an important player for the club, if you can just see the data, his involvement in our chance creation was huge. But I believe that it's important to find other profiles that can maybe take the lead,” said Ouaddou.
While Oswin Appollis and Patrick Maswanganyi, among others, are expected to fill the void left by Mofokeng, Ouaddou has urged collective effort to counter the sensation's absence.
“We are not speaking about the individual qualities all the time, as you know. It's important to speak about a collective, so it's what we tried in Spain, we worked on many combinations, and lots of different profiles in the middle,” added the Bucs mentor.
"But I think we can have a good answer this weekend and then we will see.
Notably, Mofokeng made a total of 125 appearances for Pirates, chipping in with 29 goals and 31 assists, while lifting seven trophies in the process.
Pirates, meanwhile, will begin their Betway Premiership title defense with a tie against topflight newbies Milford FC at the Orlando Amstel Arena on Saturday, 01 August.
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