Ouaddou reveals why he stands by Mbuthuma
Orlando Pirates head coach Abdeslam Ouaddou has strongly defended striker Yanela Mbuthuma amid growing calls from supporters for him to be dropped.
Mbuthuma has started all four of Pirates’ matches this season across all competitions. The 24-year-old has started three Betway Premiership matches and one MTN8 fixture.
However, his slow start, which includes missed chances and no goals, has frustrated some supporters. Ouaddou, though, says dropping the striker could damage his confidence. “You have two schools of thought when you analyse a game: as a technician and not like a fan. I’m not saying the fans can’t read the game, but there is a different vision from outside and the vision we have from the pitch,” said Ouaddou.
“We can help the player [Mbuthuma] by seeing what he can do in training and in the game. I already spoke about this issue; the player is interested in how we want to play, and the amount of work he’s doing without the ball.
“So we cannot take out the good things that he does that are important for our team, even though at the end of the season we are looking at stats, data, and the number of goals.”
Ouaddou believes there is a risk in removing Mbuthuma from the starting XI. “There are two thoughts: you take out the boy and put him on the side, and you bring him on later in the game; maybe he can have some confidence, but nobody can predict; maybe you can kill his confidence.”
He says the decision to continue trusting Mbuthuma was made collectively by the Pirates technical team.
“So we have chosen not only me; we are a team that is together at Pirates. The thought doesn’t come only from me. We are working as a collective, and we decided to keep the trust in him.”
“I told him that in the proper game, he’s doing well, and now I’m expecting the goals. So I wanted to be clear about that, and I hope people are not going to interpret what I’m saying wrong.”
Ouaddou insists Pirates will continue supporting the young striker. “He’s a Pirates player; we have a project, and we know that sometimes players can have some difficult moments. We are here to support them; they are our players.”
“We don’t have a choice but to help these players; they are South Africans and young talent of the country, so I cannot kill a talent.” “In my career as a coach, I cannot kill a talent. I need to keep on believing in him.”
