Why Orlando Pirates captain & under-fire striker were dropped vs Sekhukhune

Defending Premier Soccer League champions Orlando Pirates faced Sekhukhune United on Tuesday at the Orlando Amstel Arena.

Strikes from Boitumelo Radiopane and Oswin Appollis in either half were enough to see the Buccaneers open a three-point lead. The 2-0 victory took them to 10 points from four games, three more than their rivals Kaizer Chiefs and Mamelodi Sundowns, who will play on Wednesday.

While Amakhosi will be away against Richards Bay, Masandawana hope to bounce back from the 1-0 defeat to Golden Arrows last weekend in the first leg of the MTN8 semi-final, versus AmaZulu.

There were questions on Tuesday night as Bucs opted to play Babina Noko without their captain Nkosinathi Sibisi and Yanela Mbuthuma, who has been under fire for missing some good scoring chances.

Where was the key duo?

“I think when we are playing three games in a row like that, I already spoke about this case. We have international players,” Ouaddou responded to the media.

“We have to be careful about the load. It’s our job to anticipate possible injuries. So, of course, we rest Sibisi. Mbuthuma, I think he had a lot of game time. It was the moment as well to give him some rest and to see the other strikers as well. It’s very important.

“It was the right moment to make the rotation. If I don’t do it at that moment, I don’t know where else I would be able to do it. But as I said, it was an opportunity for some players to show. And we give the chances to everybody,” the Moroccan concluded.

On Sunday, Bucs host Sekhukhune once again in the second leg of the MTN8 semi-final. After a 1-0 win in the initial one, the defending champions hope to finish the job in their bid to make it five titles in a row.