Ouaddou Stands by Mbuthuma Amidst Goal Drought

Orlando Pirates head coach Abdeslam Ouaddou defended striker Yanela Mbuthuma, who has struggled to score goals. Mbuthuma, aged 24, entered his second season with the Buccaneers but only managed one goal over the last 17 matches. This performance resulted in discontent among the club's fan base, some of whom expressed their frustrations on social media that bordered on abuse directed at the player.

With the first leg of the MTN 8 semi-final against Sekhukhune United approaching, Ouaddou acknowledged the importance of goals and statistics and admitted that he had a candid discussion with Mbuthuma about his performance. Despite pressure from fans and the media, he expressed his and his technical team’s commitment to keeping faith in the player based on contributions seen during training and official matches. He warned that benching Mbuthuma could negatively impact his confidence.

Ouaddou stated, "You have two schools of thought when you analyze a game as a tactician, not like just a fan. Of course, the media and the fans can read the game, but there is a difference between the vision from outside and the vision we can get from the pitch. We have the player all week, and we see what he can do in training and games.

He highlighted the essential contributions of Mbuthuma, saying, "The player is interesting about how we want to play the league that is creating in the team, the amount of work that is doing without the ball. We cannot overlook these good things that he is doing that are important for our team. At the end of the season, we are looking for stats, data, and goals."

He continued, "If he was not performing in the game and was not scoring, we might have made the decision to bench him. But I believe, and I told him, that he performs well in proper games, and now I’m expecting a goal from him.

Regarding potential criticism of his decisions, Ouaddou added, "I hope people do not misinterpret what I am saying, as it’s easy to interpret and twist my words. He is a player for Pirates, and we have a project and a vision for him. Football can be challenging for some players, and we are here to support them as mentors."

He concluded, emphasizing his commitment to developing talent, stating, "I cannot kill a talent. I need to believe in him and will continue to do so, even if it leads to my dismissal. I still believe in him."