Abdeslam Ouaddou cautious on how to treat Oswin Appollis after inspiring Orlando Pirates to MTN8 semi-finals - 'We need to discipline him'

Oswin Appollis was one of the players signed by Orlando Pirates' new coach Abdeslam Ouaddou during the current transfer window.

He was the star of the show last Saturday when the Buccaneers knocked Polokwane City out of the MTN8 at the quarter-final stage.

But Pirates coach Abdeslam Ouaddou is refusing to get carried away by Appollis' exploits.  

“I played against Appollis when I was in my previous club [Marumo Gallants]. I know his qualities and I will not change him,” Ouaddou told reporters.

“But as an ex-professional footballer and as a coach, I want to bring him to the highest level. And of course, we need to discipline him and give him some tactical workshops to do. 

“He did it during the pre-season camp, and you can see that we don’t use him only for transitions, we use him for many tasks, and he did it well," added tyhe former Fulham defender. 

“We gave him 60 minutes as we didn’t want to burn him, but he can come between the lines, he can make runs from deep, and he can change sides. I want a dynamic player, not only to stand on one side and wait for the ball.”

So far, Appollis has given the impression that he was a correct signing by Ouaddou. 

Should he continue with the form he showed in the MTN8 quarter-finals, he could be the Buccaneers' best player of the season.

That would also help him cement his place in the Bafana Bafana squad ahead of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations finals. 

Another test awaits Appollis this coming weekend when the Soweto giants host Sekhukhune United in their first Premier Soccer League match of the season. 

After the impressive match against Polokwane City, Appollis would be out to build on that as expectations are already high on him.