Orlando Pirates coach Abdeslam Ouaddou has reiterated that he’ll reshuffle the starting XI from time to time in the face of a congested fixture programme, saying “you can’t play [the same] player every three days”. 

Pirates laboured against spirited newbies, Orbit College, to collect their second league win of the season, with Lebone Seema netting the only goal of the match at Orlando Stadium on Tuesday. It was Bucs’ seventh game this month.

“We have such a big squad and we are playing many competitions, so, like I’ve always said, everybody is important in the team and everybody will have time to show their ability in the team,” Ouaddou said when asked whether he’d change the team’s line-up to accommodate players like Olisa Ndah and Nkosinathi Sibisi, who are returning from injuries. 

“In modern football, as a coach you need to manage players,” he said. “You can’t play a player every three days, [and] you have to think about the health of the players. I think in my opinion that would be difficult for the player, so it will be very important to have all the players to rotate the squad.”

The Pirates coach revealed that the reason he substituted 34-year-old Deon Hotto against Orbit at halftime was to avoid him being injured amid their tight fixture programme.

“Hotto is the kind of player who’s very important for the club on and off the pitch,” Ouaddou explained. “Before our game against Orbit, we he had played 90 minutes in every game, and sometimes as a coach you have to anticipate some injuries, especially at his age.

“We have to manage him very well because we still need him. So, taking him off at halftime against Orbit was about managing him.”

Fixtures

Tomorrow: Siwelele v Bay, Dr Molemela (7.30pm)

Saturday: Magesi v AmaZulu, Seshego (3pm); Stellenbosch v Sundowns, Athlone (3pm); Arrows v Chiefs, Moses Mabhida (5.30pm); Sekhukhune v Durban, Peter Mokaba (5.30pm); Orbit v Galaxy, Dobsonville (8pm)

Sunday: Chippa v Pirates, Nelson Mandela (3pm); Marumo v Polokwane, Dr Molemela (3pm).

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