Ouaddou told NOT to field struggling Pirates star: ‘It is good if he doesn’t play’

Orlando Pirates will host Sekhukhune United in the second leg of the MTN8 semi-final at the Orlando Amstel Arena on Saturday.

The first leg at the Old Peter Mokaba Stadium in Polokwane ended 1-0 in favour of the defending champions. The two teams met in the Premier Soccer League again on Tuesday, when the Soweto giants registered a 2-0 victory.

In the initial Cup tie, Deon Hotto found the back of the net, while Boitumelo Radiopane and Oswin Appollis found the back of the net in the South African top-tier fixture.

Yanela Mbuthuma struggled to deliver in Polokwane despite the many chances created. Since coming in from Richards Bay, the forward has struggled for consistency, especially by missing clear scoring chances.

Good if Mbuthuma doesn’t play

“It’s good for him that he doesn’t play for now,” former Buccaneers striker Andries Sebola said, as quoted by Kick Off.

“He must also not play over the weekend [in the MTN8 against Sekhukhune United]. Maybe just give him the last 15 minutes, not starting the game. He’s under a lot of pressure, but I believe he only needs one goal. So that’s why he needs to relax his mind. He needs support from the technical team.

“But I think he’ll come back. For now, it actually works better for his mindset that there’s not that pressure. They have to introduce him maybe late in the game. So that he can try to change the complexion of the game.

“If you remember when he joined Pirates, he didn’t just start the game. He was coming in as a sub, scoring goals. So the coach decided to give him a chance again to start the game. So for now, he must introduce him gradually to build his confidence back,” he further explained.

Petersen will deliver, but…

Sebola has further opined on what Sebastien Pedersen is bringing to the team, but explained what should be done to make him effective.

“I think it’s good that the coach [Ouaddou] finally listened to the supporters, because the supporters were demanding that he be benched. Because they know that Sebastian [Pedersen] has just arrived and they expect a lot from him.

“The only thing that I’m still worried about is the supply. The supply is not yet there for the strikers. But for now, I agree with the decision to put Mbuthuma aside. It’s for his own good.”