Orlando Pirates midfielder Tapelo Mokobodi has transformed from an overlooked player at Marumo Gallants into one of the Buccaneers' most influential performers. Abdesslam Addou predicts a brilliant future for the 23-year-old footballer.
Mokobodi earned Man of the Match honors after playing a decisive role in both goals: he set up Yanel Mbutuma's opening goal and later provided the assist for Tshepang Moremi's winning strike.
However, Addou is particularly pleased to witness his ascent, as it was during their time together at Marumo Gallants that he first noticed Mokobodi's potential.
The Pirates coach revealed that when he arrived at Gallants, Mokobodi was among a group of players isolated from the main squad. He noted that in January, when he joined, Marumo was last in the league with a roster of about 40 players, where some players trained together while others were kept separate, and Mokobodi was among the latter.
Instead of discarding the players training separately, Addou organized a friendly match to assess their abilities. Mokobodi seized this opportunity, immediately catching the attention of the Moroccan-French coach, as well as Humbulani Nkube.
Addou stated: 'I organized a friendly match for the sidelined players, and I immediately saw the quality in him, and (Humbulani) Nkube, these two helped us secure our positions in the top division.'
This early impression eventually led to his reunion at Orlando Pirates, and the coach was very happy when the club secured Mokobodi's services.
The coach believes the midfielder possesses all the necessary qualities to become one of the country's leading players, highlighting his intelligence, work ethic, and ability to influence the game in both directions. He added: 'I was so happy when the club brought him here to Pirates, and I knew what he could bring, and if I have to talk about his quality, he is box-to-box, he covers distances, he is very smart, he can see before he receives the ball, he can score and assist, and he can tackle.'
Beyond technical skills, Addou also emphasized Mokobodi's professionalism and character—qualities he believes will determine how far the midfielder can advance. He concluded: 'The most important thing is that he is a professional, he has strong human values, he is very respectful to his teammates and the club. I predict a big future for this guy, and he is definitely one of the best midfielders in the country.'
For Mokobodi, the derby on Saturday was another important step in his development at Pirates. Having gained his coach's trust through performances dating back to his time at Gallants, the midfielder is now beginning to make his mark on one of South Africa's biggest football stages.