PSL Transfers: What can Matuludi & Appollis bring to Orlando Pirates?

The two players have been influential in Polokwane City’s rise up the table, as they currently sit in 3rd place, occupying a CAF position.

Thabang Matuludi has been a top performer for the side since their promotion, while Oswin Appollis is a Bafana Bafana star whose talent is well known. We look at the two potential signings and what they could bring to the Buccaneers.

Thabang Matuludi

The 25-year-old right-back was an influential figure in Polokwane City’s first season after promotion, playing in 29 of their 30 league games. Only one player (Lebohang Nkaki) played more games than Matuludi last season (30). He may not be a prolific scorer (one goal and one assist last season), but he has other attributes that will benefit any top side.

Last season, Matulidi led the league for both duels won (240) & interceptions (68), with his duel-winning numbers at least 50 more than the next-best player. For an aggressive wide defender, it’s also impressive that he only picked up two yellow cards all season.

The heat maps above show the areas of Matuludi’s involvement this season. A glance highlights how he can be an overlapper when needed (he’s third for shots taken at the club), but can provide safety when the tactics and situation call for that.

Pirates are already loaded at right-back, having recently signed Deano van Rooyen to join the Thabisos (Monyane and Lebitso). But Matuludi can provide versatility (can play multiple positions), height, and reliability (he rarely missed a game last season). Moreover, recent results with CAF Champions League football have shown that Pirates’ good start to the season needs a deep squad to be sustained.

Oswin Appollis

Equally important to the club is 23-year-old Oswin Appollis, and one wonders how Polokwane City will replace him should he leave, as rumored. The young player made a name for himself last season, leading the side in goal contributions and many other metrics like shots and shots on target.

League-wide, he was third for shots (2.2 per game) and shots on target (averaging 1 per game). Only Sanele Barns (77) created more chances than Appollis (53) last season.

Looking at his pass map, one can immediately see that he occupies the spaces that Pirates youngster Relebohile Mofokeng currently does. But having seen Pirates (and Mofokeng in particular) struggle to assert themselves in the defeat to Stellenbosch (straight after a trip to North Africa), Jose Riveiro would have been yearning for depth in that position.

That is not to say the decision to sign him was recently made but to highlight that he would fit in perfectly into Pirates’ busy schedule without a drop in standards. Thanks to his exploits at AFCON and with Bafana Bafana, he is one of the most coveted wide attackers not just in the country but across the continent as well.

The early season momentum has shown that Pirates have the base of what it takes to challenge for the title, but the lack of depth may be a problem in the long run. Pirates could play up to 32 games between January and May, and they’ll need both quality and quantity in equal measure. In Matuludi and Appollis, they add to the numbers and capture two of the most promising players in the division.