Orlando Pirates Mbatha Absence Explained: Abdeslam Ouaddou Gives Update Before African Stars Match

Orlando Pirates coach Abdeslam Ouaddou has explained why midfielder Thalente Mbatha was missing from the team that beat TS Galaxy 3-0, as the Buccaneers now prepare for a crucial CAF Champions League tie against African Stars.

Mbatha had just made his long-awaited return from injury in the MTN8 final against Mamelodi Sundowns last Saturday at Moses Mabhida Stadium. He had spent about two months on the sidelines after undergoing surgery when he returned from national team duty with Bafana Bafana. His performance in the final, even though Pirates lost, was impressive and many fans expected him to start again on Tuesday against TS Galaxy at Orlando Stadium.

But Ouaddou left him out completely.

Speaking after the Galaxy game, Ouaddou said the club did not want to take any risks with the midfielder. According to reports on https://iol.co.za and https://africasoccer.com, the coach admitted that seeing Mbatha in the MTN8 final was already a surprise given his long rehabilitation.

"When he came back from the national team, he had surgery and we did everything to bring him back in terms of rehabilitation and I think it was a surprise for you to see him in the MTN8 final," Ouaddou said. "I was so amazed about his performance in the final. It has been a long time that I did not see such quality of Mbatha. High level, so we don't want to take risks with Mbatha. He is an important player for us and we played two days after and we do not want to take any risk about him."

For fans who do not follow Pirates every week, Thalente Mbatha is one of the key central midfielders for the Buccaneers. Last season Pirates did not lose any match that he started, until the MTN8 final. His absence against Galaxy was therefore noticeable.

The decision also comes at a busy time. Pirates beat Galaxy 3-0 to stay close to leaders Sundowns in the Betway Premiership. Now they must travel to Botswana to face Namibian champions African Stars in the first leg of their second preliminary-round tie in the 2026/27 CAF Champions League on Saturday, October 18. Kick-off is set for 15:00 at the Gaborone Stadium, with the return leg at Orlando on October 23.

Ouaddou is expected to rotate the squad for that game. Local reports suggest Mbatha could return to the starting line-up against African Stars now that he has had more days to recover. The coach is balancing two things: getting Mbatha back to full match fitness for both domestic and continental games, and avoiding a setback that could keep him out for another two months.

In short, Mbatha was not dropped, he was rested. Pirates need him for the bigger push to reach the CAF Champions League group stages.