Orlando Pirates working on new midfield formula after Relebohile Mofokeng departure

The Bafana Bafana star recently ended his four-year stint with the Buccaneers after completing a high-profile move to Belgian Pro League side Royale Union Saint-Gilloise.

Mofokeng leaves the Soweto giants as one of the club's standout performers, having played a pivotal role in their successful Betway Premiership title-winning campaign last season.

His departure leaves a significant creative void after he finished the 2025/26 campaign by sweeping the PSL's top individual honours, including Footballer of the Season, Players' Player of the Season and Young Player of the Season.

Ouaddou admits replacing Mofokeng would not be the responsibility of one player alone, but rather the collective.

"Rele was an important player for the club. If you look at the data, his involvement in our chance creation was huge," said the Bucs coach.

"It's important to find the profile that can maybe take the lead. But, as you know, we're not always talking about individuals; it's important to speak about the collective."

The Moroccan coach revealed that Pirates used their pre-season tour in Spain to test different tactical setups and midfield combinations ahead of the new campaign.

"That's what we worked on in Spain - trying new combinations and different profiles in midfield to see what works. I think we'll have a good answer this weekend (against Milford FC)," he added.

Pirates will begin the defence of their Betway Premiership title against newly promoted Milford FC at Orlando Amstel Arena on Saturday.