Appollis talks about why the Orlando Pirates bench has such a big positive impact! | OneFootball

The stars on the bench are helping their team remarkably.

Appollis talks about why the Orlando Pirates bench has such a big positive impact!

Orlando Pirates forward Oswin Appollis has shed light on the strategic mindset fostered by coach Abdeslam Ouaddou, which he believes is central to the team's success with substitutions. The Buccaneers have frequently turned matches around this season through decisive contributions from players coming off the bench.

This tactical strength will be a key asset as they prepare for the Carling Knockout Cup final against Marumo Gallants on Saturday. The team can draw inspiration from the MTN8 final, where substitute Tshepang Moremi delivered a stellar performance with two goals and an assist in a 3-0 win over Stellenbosch FC—a feat he nearly replicated by scoring off the bench against Chippa United.

Appollis attributes this effectiveness to the coach's philosophy of redefining the role of non-starters."As you can see, the quality that we have in our team, no matter if you come from the bench or the starting XI, we’re all good enough to start," Appollis stated. "And there’s only 11 players you can start, and the mentality that the coach created, he tells us that we, as the substitutes, he doesn’t call us that, he calls us impact players. And it’s been working."

He emphasized how this psychological shift has translated directly into results on the pitch."I think a lot of goals came from the bench. So, the coach just imprinted in our heads that we’re impact players, not substitutes."