Abdeslam Ouaddou: Relebohile Mofokeng at his peak can lead Orlando Pirates to title

Ouaddou believes the rising star possesses the composure, creativity, and attacking quality needed to guide the team's title ambitions this season.

Mofokeng's importance to the Soweto giants is well established. Last season, he rose above the rest, effectively carrying the club's aspirations during an intense title push as Pirates attempted to secure their first league crown since the 2011/12 campaign.

His heavy workload during that period, however, contributed to fatigue that affected his early-season form this term.

The midfielder's challenges were compounded when injury struck earlier in the season, forcing him to miss crucial World Cup qualifiers against Rwanda and Zimbabwe. His spell on the sidelines also meant he struggled initially to meet the high expectations set by his breakout year.

Despite these setbacks, Ouaddou insists Mofokeng remains central to Pirates' pursuit of the league title.

While the arrival of new signings has eased some of the pressure on the youngster, the coach maintains that his technical quality and tactical intelligence continue to make him a key component of the squad.

"I cannot say too much about the beginning of this season for me. When you play so many games, and also the competition in the national team - I think he didn't have a lot of time to rest; he had only 10 days, two weeks, and the season before he played maybe 40 or 45 games," said Ouaddou.

"He is not a robot, and I can understand that he was a bit tired, and we gave him some rest, and he came back with good fitness.

"You can now see in the last three or four games he was part of the success of the team and made some fantastic assists."

He added: "You can see the difference between a Mofokeng that is fit and one that is tired. At 70% he can still help the team, I do not want to imagine at 100% he can help us win the title."