Ouaddou cautious with Orlando Pirates ‘best player’ – You have to protect a diamond

Orlando Pirates star Oswin Appollis has not had a good start to the 2026/27 campaign after his exploits in the previous Premier Soccer League campaign.

The 24-year-old played all the PSL games, scoring nine goals in the process, with six assists. In the 43 outings across all competitions, the former Polokwane City attacker found the back of the net 12 times, with nine assists to his name.

As a result, he was part of the Bafana Bafana team that competed in the 2026 FIFA World Cup where the nation made the knockout phase for the first time in their history.

However, in five matches in the ongoing campaign, Appollis has scored one goal. As a matter of fact, the South Africa international has not shown the sharpness he showed as Bucs ended their 14-year PSL title wait.

Ouaddou defends Appollis

The Sea Robbers coach Abdeslam Ouaddou has now explained why Appollis needs protection, especilly after the World Cup that was co-hosted by Canada, the United States and Mexico.

“He’s one of our best players. And when you have a diamond in your house, you have to protect him. Appollis is Appollis, you know him. It’s somebody, even if he’s 50%, let’s say even 40%, he can score at any moment. So we are not surprised,” he told the media.

“For that, [on Saturday], I think every game is improving, and [against Sekhukhune] it was a moment for us to protect him, maybe for him to rest and not to risk any injury.

“I knew that all these international players, they will be tired. And in order to protect them, I need to anticipate any big injuries. It’s my job to do that,” he concluded.