Orlando Pirates head coach Abdeslam Ouaddou has offered an encouraging update on Oswin Appollis, though he says the winger will not be hurried back into action.
Appollis took part in training ahead of the club’s CAF Champions League second leg against African Stars, a welcome sign for the Buccaneers. Ouaddou explained that the session was designed to test how the player is coping, particularly during the warm-up, where the focus was on whether he could sprint freely.
“I’m happy that he was in training, the target was to see what he can do, in the warm-up to see if he can sprint, it’s good news, he said he doesn’t feel pain,” Ouaddou said.
Even so, the Moroccan mentor made it clear that caution will guide any decision on the player’s availability. He highlighted Appollis’ importance to the side, but stressed that protecting his fitness comes first.
“But you must understand Oswin is an important player of the team, they are all Ferraris, we need to take care of the engines very well. I don’t want to risk any players ahead of these important games, or burn anything…”
The Ferrari comparison underlines Ouaddou’s approach to squad management: high-performance players need careful handling, especially with a demanding run of fixtures ahead.
Pirates are managing a busy schedule across competitions, with the upcoming Soweto Derby on the horizon and the Carling Knockout Cup clash against Milford next week.
Whether Appollis features against African Stars or is held back for later fixtures remains to be seen, but the fact that he is back in training and pain-free will be a boost for the Soweto side.