Coach Ouaddou prepares Orlando Pirates for life after Mbokazi

Orlando Pirates coach Abdeslam Ouaddou has started to plan for life after Mbekezeli Mbokazi, which is why the Carling Cup exhibition match against the All Stars team was used to gauge the readiness of players who could potentially replace the defender.

Mbokazi is set to leave Pirates after his AFCON campaign with Bafana Bafana in January and join MLS side Chicago Fire, after putting pen to paper on a multimillion-rand deal in recent weeks.

His departure from the club will leave a huge void. Not only did he rise to prominence through his clean tackles, accurate passing and reading of the game, but he has also shown impeccable leadership qualities, having captained the side for much of the season at just 19-years old.

The Pirates technical team is not worried about finding a replacement for Mbokazi as they are confident that others can seamlessly fill his shoes.

On Saturday afternoon, at a wet Moses Mabhida Stadium, Ouaddou paired Olisa Ndah and Thabiso Sesane at the heart of Pirates’ defence. The duo returned to competitive football for the first time since suffering injuries early last season under Ouaddou’s predecessor, Jose Riveiro.

The partnership was rock-solid when it began last season, but was unfortunately dismantled when both players sustained injuries, forcing them to spend much of the campaign in the medical room instead of on the pitch.

Mbokazi and Nkosinathi Sibisi replaced them at centre-back for most of the season. However, in the current campaign, the script changed.

Mbokazi was paired alongside Lebone Seema, with the duo playing a key role in helping Pirates win two trophies – the MTN8 and the Carling Knockout – and finish the year at the top of the Betway Premiership standings with 28 points.

So, when Sesane and Ndah helped the team keep a clean sheet in their 2–0 win over All Stars in Durban, en route to becoming the first Carling Knockout champions to successfully win the Carling Cup, it highlighted the duo’s readiness to step up when called upon.

“It was so important for them, and for us,” Ouaddou said.

“You know we have a big squad, and it’s difficult for me to make choices when I have to put 11 players on the pitch. Maybe if Mr Gianni Infantino, the Fifa president, changes the laws and allows us to put more players on the pitch, it could be better. But they know they are very important to me.

“They are working hard at training. We have close communication with them, and maybe at the end of the season, they can help us be successful.”

Mbokazi’s departure will certainly be a loss for Pirates. However, Ouaddou has embraced the challenge as an opportunity to stretch both himself and the squad by experimenting with different formations.

Alongside partnering Sesane and Ndah at centre-back, he pushed Seema into a wider defensive role, allowing right-back Deano van Rooyen to move further forward. That formation added numbers to Pirates’ offensive approach.

Heading into the New Year, Ouaddou believes his side is well equipped to withstand the pressure that will come their way as they remain the team to beat across the board.

“We changed the system to surprise the opposition coach (Manqoba Mngqithi),” Ouaddou said. “I put myself in his shoes because he was expecting us to play with a 4-3-3.

“Secondly, I think the players need to understand how we can play in different shapes. They must know that in the second half of the season, I might change the structure.

“I think in the second half of the game they understood it well. That gives me confidence for the future.”