Orlando Pirates head coach Abdeslam Ouaddou has revealed why Thalente Mbatha was a notable omission from the squad for the 3-0 win over TS Galaxy on Tuesday evening, saying the club is taking a cautious approach with the midfielder’s recovery.
Mbatha’s absence raised eyebrows, particularly after he featured in the MTN8 final. Ouaddou explained that the decision was all about managing the player’s fitness following a spell on the sidelines.
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“Mbatha – you know when he came back from the national team he had surgery, we did everything to bring him back in terms of rehabilitation, and I think it was a surprise for you to see him in the MTN8 final,” Ouaddou said.
The Moroccan mentor was effusive in his praise of Mbatha’s showing in the final, saying it was the best he had seen from the midfielder in a long time.
“I was so amazed about his performance in the final, it’s been a long time since I’ve seen such quality of Mbatha, high-level. So we don’t want to take risks with Mbatha.”
With Pirates playing again just two days after the final, Ouaddou was not prepared to gamble with a player he considers central to his plans.
“He’s an important player for us. So we play two days after and we don’t want to take any risks about him.”
Mbatha will be aiming to get back to full fitness in the congested Pirates schedule with the next Bafana Bafana squad set to be announced in the coming weeks.