Is this why Tshegofatso Mabasa was let go by Orlando Pirates? Ouaddou sends warning to 'lazy' players

In the short January transfer window, Orlando Pirates opted to send their striker Tshegofatso Mabasa to Stellenbosch, albeit on loan.

Another attacker who was let go is Sinoxolo Kwayiba, who rejoined his former team, Chippa United, even without making his competitive debut for the Buccaneers despite joining in the offseason transfer window.

At the beginning of his tenure at the club, Ouaddou favoured Boitumelo Radiopane, who was later limited partly due to injury.

Evidence Makgopa came in with Mabasa, struggling to get game time for the MTN8 and Carling Knockout champions. But in the last two matches, Yanela Mbuthuma has been given a chance to spearhead the Soweto giants' attacking department.

He was on target in the 2-0 win over Magesi FC last weekend.

In his post-match interview with the media, Ouaddou explained the reason to play Mbuthuma before sounding a warning to the other players.

"What I can tell you about Mbuthuma is that he is a modern striker. And what I like about him and Makgopa and Radio is the capacity to play as well without the ball," he stated.

"Some people think that they’re only here in the box just to score, but this kind of football is finished. When you play, you play very slowly, you play in five square minutes.

“This football is finished, you don’t have to dream about that. The modern football, you have to be efficient with the ball, you have to be efficient in the box, you have to be mobile, you have to play with the ball when we find you in the pocket, you have to make runs without the ball," Ouaddou added.

“When we are pressing, we have to recover the ball together. People try to understand why we are so strong. We are so strong because everybody is working in our team; it’s not only the back four.

“To come back to Mbuthuma, he has the ability and fitness to help us, but not during 20 seconds, but to have five seconds to allow the midfielders and defenders to recover the ball.

“And somebody who cannot do this, who maybe is lazy, he cannot play high-level football, he cannot play in my team because the game model is asking a little bit more than staying and putting the tent in the box and waiting for the ball," he concluded.

Bafana Bafana are among the teams that qualified for the 2026 FIFA World Cup to be co-hosted by the United States, Mexico, and Canada.

It explains why the two players need enough game time and goals to convince coach Hugo Broos to have them in the squad.