Abdeslam Ouaddou Sends Message to Mamelodi Sundowns After Orlando Pirates’ Draw Against Richards Bay

• Abdeslam Ouaddou has reacted to Orlando Pirates' slip-up in the Betway Premiership race against Richards Bay on Friday evening
• The Soweto-based club were held to a 2-2 draw against the Natal Rich Boyz in KwaZulu-Natal, with Mamelodi Sundowns still on top
• The former Marumo Gallants sent a message to the defending champions as the Sea Robbers continue to fight for the league title

Orlando Pirates have dropped vital points in the Betway Premiership title race as they drew against Richards Bay at the Umhlathuze Sports Complex on Friday, April 10, 2026.

The Buccaneers had to fight from behind on two occasions in the game, with Relebohile Mofokeng showing an impressive performance once again as he's being linked with a move away from the Sea Robbers.

Thulani Gumede opened the scoring early in the 10th minute for the host, before Pirates responded shortly after the restart, with Oswin Appollis finding the equaliser in the 52nd minute.

Read also

Why Orlando Pirates’ Betway Premiership title hopes may be over this season

The hosts regained the lead in the 59th minute through Lindokuhle Zikhali, but Pirates once again showed resilience. Lebone Seema struck a powerful long-range effort to level matters at 2-2, ensuring the points were shared.

The Soweto giants recently put six goals past TS Galaxy in the Betway Premiership with Mofokeng scoring a hat-trick, but they struggled to get all three points against the Natal Rich Boyz in KwaZulu-Natal.

Ouaddou's warning to Mamelodi Sundowns

Orlando Pirates head coach Abdeslam Ouaddou has sent a strong warning to Mamelodi Sundowns as he claims he remains confident his side are still firmly in contention for the Betway Premiership title, even after dropping crucial points away to Richards Bay FC.

Although Pirates dropped two valuable points and now trail the Brazilians, who also have a game in hand, Ouaddou stressed that the title race remains wide open and his team will keep pushing until the final whistle of the season.

“There’s definitely some disappointment because we’ve let two points slip in this race,” Ouaddou told SuperSport TV.

“However, the players showed great determination right to the end. We have to keep working and stay focused until the final game.

Read also

Why Pirates should worry after Mamelodi Sundowns’ win over Espérance

“Some may feel the race is already decided, but we don’t share that view. We’ll continue playing our football until the very end."

Ouaddou hails Pirates players despite dropping points

To the surprise of many, Ouaddou went further to hail Orlando Pirates players despite dropping two important points in the Betway Premiership title race.

The French-Moroccan coach admitted that the match felt like two points dropped despite adding one point to their tally in the league standings.

“We must also credit the players for their character, they fought back and scored twice. While it’s a point gained, it still feels like two points dropped,” the former Marumo Gallants head coach added.

Mofokeng tipped to win PSL big award

Briefly News also reported that Mofokeng has been tipped to win the Premier Soccer League Footballer of the Year award after his amazing performance for Orlando Pirates so far this season.

The Pirates star has been one of the best players in the Betway Premiership since the start of 2026, and his performance has helped the Bucs continue to fight for the league title.

Source: Briefly News