Appollis remained on the bench as Pirates achieved a 3-0 win against Milford in Tuesday’s Carling Knockout Round of 16 at Orlando Amstel Arena.

The 25-year-old, who earned the PSL Midfielder of the Season title last year, was also left out of the matchday squad in Saturday’s 4-0 (5-0 aggregate) thrashing of African Stars in the CAF Champions League.

Though Appollis had a notable presence for Bafana Bafana during last month’s 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers—contributing three assists in a 5-0 victory over Eritrea—his club contributions have notably diminished.

Since the domestic season began, he has yet to play a full 90 minutes for the Buccaneers and has missed two consecutive matches.

Similarly, young striker Mbuthuma has also been excluded from the Pirates’ squad for their last three matches.

When questioned about the impact of squad rotation leading up to Saturday’s crucial Soweto Derby against Kaizer Chiefs at FNB Stadium, Ouaddou dismissed the notion, taking the chance to emphasize the need for greater commitment.

“As I’ve always said, I have starting players and impact players. There are no mere substitutions,” Ouaddou stated.

“The player I bring in gets an opportunity and must seize it, for he may not get a second or third chance.

“It may feel challenging, but I apologize; this is a higher level. When the call comes, you must deliver because we have millions of fans who adore Pirates.

“Everywhere we go in South Africa, they await us; they embrace us warmly with open arms, and we cannot let these supporters down.

“Not just in South Africa, but we must also honor the fans across Africa who love Pirates. This is the mindset we need. If we need to score eight goals against Milford, we must show them we are not playing on the same level.

“However, we approach this team, and with all due respect—because I’ve mentioned they are well-coached, I like their coach, and they possess good players—but we must not surrender. They are coming here, and you leave people thinking, ‘We could have performed better.’

“I don’t want to hear anyone claim that Pirates is merely a name; we cannot allow such perceptions to persist.

“That is what frustrates me. When we wear the jersey with the Pirates emblem, each game requires us to transform ourselves.

“I’m not here to coddle anyone; I don’t have the time.”