Vilakazi Warns Ouaddou: Orlando Pirates Need a Bigger Squad
Orlando Pirates great Benedict Vilakazi has fired a clear warning shot in the direction of head coach Abdeslam Ouaddou: trim the squad at your own risk.
With Pirates juggling a brutal calendar – the Betway Premiership, an MTN8 final against Mamelodi Sundowns, the looming Carling Knockout, the Nedbank Cup and the CAF Champions League – Vilakazi believes the current group is simply too thin for what lies ahead.
Ouaddou has been open about wanting a tightly managed dressing room. His preferred number is specific: 30 outfield players and four goalkeepers. Anything more, he argues, clutters the environment and stunts individual growth.
Vilakazi isn’t buying it.
Injuries expose the cracks
For the former Pirates midfielder, the evidence is already on the treatment table.
“It’s very wise to have a bigger squad,” he told FARPost. “Look at the injuries that they are having right now.”
He pointed to a growing list of concerns: Makhehlene Makhaula sidelined, Thalente Mbatha dealing with a knee issue, Sihle Nduli “hurt badly”. Each name chips away at Ouaddou’s ideal of a lean, tightly knit group.
To Vilakazi, these setbacks are not unfortunate coincidences. They are early warnings.
“So, it’s going to be important to have a bigger squad, especially when you look at the trophies that are on the table for the team,” he said.
He then ran through the Pirates checklist: the Betway Premiership grind, an MTN8 final already secured, the Carling Knockout on the horizon, the Nedbank Cup waiting later in the season, and the unforgiving CAF Champions League.
Every competition demands energy. Every midweek flight demands recovery. Every injury demands cover.
“So, it’s very important to have a bigger squad so that you can rest other players. Maybe others will play in the Champions League, and others will play cup games,” Vilakazi argued.
The hidden opponent: travel
The matches are only half the story. For Vilakazi, the real damage often comes between the whistle blows.
“It’s important to have a bigger squad so that your players don’t get fatigued,” he stressed. “Also, travelling plays a part in fatigue. That is one thing a lot of people don’t think of. Travelling can also cause fatigue.”
Long-haul trips across the continent, awkward kick-off times, quick turnarounds back home – CAF football punishes teams that rely on the same core of players every three days.
Vilakazi insists that “fresh legs” must be ready to step straight in when the team returns from Africa, not as a luxury, but as a necessity.
Chemistry vs capacity
Ouaddou’s stance is rooted in control. A defined squad size, clear roles, and minimal clutter. He believes that once the group swells beyond his preferred numbers, team chemistry suffers and some players drift without proper development.
But the calendar is unforgiving. The Betway Premiership title race is sharpening. An MTN8 final against Sundowns looms large. CAF commitments will only get tougher as Pirates push deeper into the competition.
That’s where Vilakazi draws his line.
“So that’s where you need a [big] pool of players,” he concluded, “so that those who went to CAF come two days before the other game, and at least you can add one or two to the team that is there and carry on with the team.”
The message is blunt: Pirates can chase trophies with a tight group, or they can survive the season with a deep one. They may not be able to do both.
