The Orlando Pirates coach expressed concerns regarding the physical condition of star player Oswin Apollos, who was carried off on a stretcher in the second half of the match against TS Galaxy. This match ended with Pirates winning 3-0 at the Orlando Amstel Arena on Tuesday evening.
Unlike the situation in the MTN8 final, where the team lost to Mamelodi Sundowns 2-0 and Apollos came on as a substitute, on Tuesday he started and made a significant impact, providing an assist for the first goal scored by Boytumelo Radiopane.
His removal on a stretcher was a serious blow. During the post-match press conference, coach Abdeslam Waddu honestly stated that he hopes the issue is merely fatigue, given that the winger regularly plays for both Pirates and Bafana Bafana.
"I think it's fatigue, I hope so. I really hope because he is one of our best players. (He) is an important player in the group," said Waddu. Apollos is critically important to Waddu's plans, as Pirates are involved in a demanding multi-front campaign.
Continental commitments are complicated by the resumption of the CAF Champions League, and there is also an important derby in Soweto against arch-rivals Kaizer Chiefs scheduled for October 31st. Losing such a dynamic attacking player will severely test the depth of the squad during this crucial period.
Waddu emphasized the importance of the upcoming games: "You know, we have an important match now (on Saturday afternoon against the Namibian team, African Stars) in the Champions League. We have a derby coming up (the match in the Betway Premiership against Chiefs on October 31st). At the moment (Tuesday evening), I don't have too much information about (why Apollos was taken off on a stretcher). I just didn't want to risk him."
He added: "You know, he is a very important player (we are talking about him). When I spoke with him and the medical department, we simply decided not to take risks, and we will assess him, and we will watch. We will see; maybe tomorrow we will have more information about him."