Orlando Pirates head coach Abdeslam Ouaddou has dismissed notions that there’s injustice towards striker Tshegofatso Mabasa in his team.
The 29-year-old marksman was Pirates’ top goalscorer last season netting 15 goals with a single assist in 48 outings across all competitions and was then-coach Jose Riveiro’s most trusted soldier in the attacking front.
This season under the tutelage of the French-Moroccan coach, Mabasa has been reduced to just nine appearances in all competitions where he has contributed with four goals and a single assist, largely due to competition in the Pirates frontline.
Ouaddou has since cleared the air on why the former Bloemfontein Celtic man has not enjoyed much game time this campaign.
“To be honest, many people ask me that question,” the Bucs tactician said on 947’s MSW on YouTube.
“First of all, I don’t have any issue with Mabasa, it’s a player that I love. It’s a good guy. He’s a good striker.
“Now I have a lot of strikers. I have a lot of players, and tactically, sometimes, regarding the profile of the defence that I’m going to play, profile of the team that I’m going to play, I’m playing high, sometimes mid-block. My game model is very demanding.
“There are a lot of runs, lot of pressing, a lot of demand in terms of the fitness, and with my staff, we are choosing the players regarding the opponent that we are going to play.
“Sometimes if they leave a space behind the back four, sometimes if they build from the back, we need somebody to chase and to defend. So, he had the opportunity to play.
“Of course, I’m okay with you, maybe not enough, but I have [Evidence] Makgopa, and [Yanele] Mbuthuma, [Boitumelo] Radiopane, Mabasa, [Sifiso] Luthuli. Five players for one position. And of course, sometimes some fans can feel that there is an injustice, but there is no injustice.
“It’s just the rules. I can play only 11 players on the pitch. If Mr. [Gianni] Infantino in a few months or next year he changes the laws to give me the opportunity for me to play 15 players on the pitch, I will be able to integrate.
“So, it’s just a competition, it is really a competition. It’s really a guy that I like.”
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