Orlando Pirates News Today: Ouaddou raves about ‘modern striker’, transfer updates, & more

Latest Orlando Pirates news, in the last 24 hours, including a prediction on MTN8 finalists, Abdeslam Ouaddou raves about striker with ‘modern qualities’, and more.

Vocal analyst on MTN8 final

A vocal football analyst in Mzansi has picked the two teams he thinks will be playing in this season’s MTN8 final, with the advantage currently sitting with Orlando Pirates and Golden Arrows.

“Pirates and Sundowns are going straight to the final,” Former Kaizer Chiefs winger Junior Khanye told KickOff.

Khanye's MTN8 predictions 👀

Football analyst Junior Khanye has picked the two teams he thinks will be playing this season's MTN8 final, with the advantage currently sitting with Orlando Pirates and Golden Arrows.

Read more ➡️ https://t.co/ca5yf9iPz0 pic.twitter.com/UHJCY1d2AH

— KickOff Online (@KickOffMagazine) August 28, 2026

“Arrows might be leading Sundowns 1-0, but we are talking about the African champions here. They competed in the Club World Cup. Sundowns players are on another level, a team that has won the league title eight times in a row. In South Africa, that has never been done before.

“The way Pirates and Sundowns are playing, it’s the way football is supposed to be played in South Africa. Not football that relies on second balls.

“Sekhukhune might be angry for losing to Pirates twice in a row, but there’s nothing they can do. The problem is they sign players for coach Cedric Kaze; they brought him there, but he never signed any player,” he adds, while giving Manqoba Mngqithi credit for laying a solid foundation for current head coach Pitso Dladla at Abafana Bes’thende.

“That team plays beautiful football.

“Arrows play like Sundowns; the difference is quality and experience. But Arrows will go there to defend their goal, and Sundowns will not stop coming at them. I see this ending 3-1,” he concluded.

Ouaddou lauds striker

Orlando Pirates head coach Abdeslam Ouaddou has given positive feedback on striker Sifiso Luthuli since his return to the club.

Luthuli returned to Pirates at the beginning of the current season after spending the end of last season on loan at Magesi FC.

"What I have seen in him is full of the qualities of a modern striker. He's tall. He's able to play as a wall player and play to have the ball deep. But he definitely he has he has good qualities to help Pirates, and I hope to see him soon. But he's a really good profile."… pic.twitter.com/0znmIJeabB

— iDiski Times (@iDiskiTimes) August 28, 2026

The 25-year-old made his mark at Magesi where he finished his loan spell with one goal and four assists but unfortunately that wasn’t enough to save Dikwena tsa Meetse from relegation.

“What I see in training, what I have seen in him is full of the qualities of a modern striker. He’s tall. He’s able to play as a wall player and play to have the ball deep,” Ouaddou said in a presser.

“He can play in a combination. Can score with his left foot and right foot. Can score with his head. I think you are not you were not surprised last year in January when I said I don’t need a striker because I already have the material in the pilot, so this season he came back, and I think the technical staff trusts him.

“Now I just hope that the injuries will stop because he has all the time some small injuries, and we have to work on that to strengthen him, to strengthen the legs, to strengthen the upper body.

“But he definitely he has he has good qualities to help Pirates, and I hope to see him soon. But he’s a really good profile.”