Abdeslam Ouaddou proud as Orlando Pirates stars are set join Bafana Bafana for World Cup qualifiers

Abdeslam Ouaddou is pleased that most of his regulars will be away on national duty in the coming days, saying there’s no greater honour for a player than being called up to represent their national team.

Bafana Bafana will assemble for a training camp ahead of their penultimate and final 2026 Fifa World Cup qualifiers on Monday morning in Roodepoort, where they’ll stay until Thursday.

They will travel to Durban on Thursday morning, ahead of Friday night’s match against Zimbabwe at Moses Mabhida Stadium. Hugo Broos’ charges will then fly to Mbombela on Saturday morning to prepare for Tuesday’s final showdown against Rwanda at Mbombela Stadium.

Bafana are second in Group C, tied with leaders Benin on 14 points. They relinquished top spot after being docked three points and handed a 3-0 defeat by Fifa for contravening a disciplinary code by fielding an ineligible Teboho Mokoena during their qualifier in March.

However, not all hope is lost. Bafana can still top the group and qualify for the global showpiece — provided they win both of their remaining qualifiers convincingly and Benin drop points against Rwanda and Nigeria.

Broos is leaving no stone unturned in the bid to qualify for the World Cup, naming a strong 23-man squad. This includes eight Orlando Pirates players: Sipho Chaine, Sipho Mbule, Oswin Appollis, Talente Mbatha, Nkosinathi Sibisi, Mbekezeli Mbokazi, Relebohile Mofokeng, and Tshepang Moremi.

“It depends on the vision,” said the Pirates coach, who was speaking about being without his main stars for training over the next few days. “Like I told you, I am proud that they’ll be playing for their countries. It’s a fantastic moment, and they have to enjoy it at all costs.

“They are part of the best group of players in the country. So, when that happens, you have to enjoy it and represent the nation.

“I will never stop anybody from going to the national team. But on the other hand, I agree with you that the daily work we want to do with them — to be perfect for the PSL and more ambitious — won’t happen because we’re not together.”

It’s no surprise that Pirates have the most players in the Bafana set-up. They’ve been the most consistent and dominant team in recent weeks, having won their last eight matches across all competitions—keeping clean sheets throughout that period.

That’s why Ouaddou backs his players to carry their club form into the national team and help achieve their respective goals, including Bafana qualifying for the World Cup.

“I’m proud to have players in the national team,” said Ouaddou. “When you get a national team call-up, it’s like a soldier being called to war to carry out a duty.

“For me, it doesn’t break the momentum. It’s about giving my players another opportunity to shine — internationally. They have to give back, not only to our club but also to their country.

“So, it will be crucial for us to train with the players who are still here. It’s very important for them to maintain the momentum. I’ll need all my players this season. So, all the best to the national team.”

Ouaddou admitted it would have been nice to keep the team together—especially during their current purple patch — but said they’ll use the Fifa break to focus on fringe players.

“It’s the case for many big clubs around the world, so we can’t do anything about it. Instead, let’s work with the players who are with us to keep improving them tactically and physically, because I will need them,” Ouaddou said.

“Like I’ve said, I win games with 11 players, but I win competitions with the entire squad.”