JOHANNESBURG: Orlando Pirates winger Oswin Appollis has returned to training and reported no further pain, but coach Abdeslam Ouaddou will take a cautious approach to his involvement in Friday’s CAF Champions League return leg against African Stars.
The Bafana Bafana international missed Pirates’ 1-0 first-leg victory after being stretchered off during their 3-0 Betway Premiership win over TS Galaxy on Tuesday, 13 October.
With a place in the Champions League group stage at stake and the Soweto Derby approaching, Ouaddou wants to ensure that Appollis is ready before increasing his workload.
Back in training and pain-free
Speaking at Pirates’ media day at the Orlando Amstel Arena on Thursday, Ouaddou said the technical team was assessing what Appollis could comfortably do in training.
“Look, I’m happy that he’s coming back in training. The target today was to assess him, to see what he’s able to do, and we start with the warm-up to see if he can sprint,” Ouaddou said.
“So, it’s good news that I spoke with him at the end of training. He told me that he doesn’t feel any more pain.”
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The encouraging update does not, however, guarantee an immediate return to the starting line-up. Ouaddou stressed that Appollis’s importance to the team was a reason to manage his recovery carefully.
“They are all Ferraris. It means Ferraris, you have to take care of the engine very well, and I don’t want to take a risk with one of the important players,” he said.
Caution after Galaxy withdrawal
Ouaddou had adopted a similar approach immediately after the Galaxy match, describing Appollis’s withdrawal as a precaution while expressing hope that fatigue was behind his discomfort.
“It’s fatigue I hope, he’s one of our best players,” the coach said at the time.
“I just didn’t want to take a risk with him, he’s a very important player.”
His latest comments suggest that Pirates will continue to assess the winger’s readiness rather than treat a pain-free training session as sufficient reason to rush him back.
Group-stage place within reach
Pirates take a narrow advantage into Friday’s second leg after Tshepang Moremi’s 75th-minute goal secured victory in the opening encounter.
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African Stars hosted that match at the National Stadium in Gaborone, Botswana.
A draw in the return leg would be enough to send the Buccaneers into the CAF Champions League group stage, while the Namibian side must win to keep their qualification hopes alive.
Three important matches in eight days
The continental fixture begins a demanding spell for Pirates, who face three significant matches in eight days.
They host Milford FC in the Carling Knockout round of 16 at the Orlando Amstel Arena on Tuesday, 27 October, with kick-off scheduled for 7pm.
Four days later, they meet Kaizer Chiefs in the Soweto Derby at FNB Stadium. Tickets for the Saturday, 31 October clash sold out within a day of going on sale.
For Ouaddou, the task is to secure progress in Africa while keeping his squad ready for the domestic fixtures that follow. Appollis’s return to training is a welcome boost, but the coach is determined to protect a player he considers central to those ambitions.
