The Buccaneers lost two of their most influential players during the current transfer window, with Mofokeng moving to Belgian Pro League outfit Royale Union Saint-Gilloise and Maswanganyi joining Bahrain Premier League club Alkhaldiya Sports Club.

Both players were instrumental in Pirates' treble-winning campaign last season, leaving Ouaddou with the difficult task of reshaping his attack while integrating new faces into the squad.

However, the coach believes the early signs are encouraging after Pirates produced a dominant display to beat Sekhukhune United 3-0 in the second leg of their MTN8 semi-final at Orlando Stadium on Saturday.

Ouaddou acknowledged that replacing players of Mofokeng and Maswanganyi's quality was never going to happen overnight.

"We had very good profiles with Mofokeng, with Tito (Patrick Maswanganyi), and for a coach it's not easy to lose these kind of profiles," Ouaddou told the media after the Babina Noko game.

"But it's life, it's the life of football. I wish them all the best, but now the life of the club must move on."

The French-born Moroccan coach has instead focused on getting the best out of the players available to him, particularly by improving their decision-making under pressure.

"We have to use the profiles to find a system that is suitable. We wanted to play fast with intensity with these new profiles," he explained.

Ouaddou has also urged supporters to understand that developing a new-look squad takes time, especially with young players being given opportunities.

"I'm not a magician, it takes some time, and some are not patient. But we're seeing the fruit of the work," he said.

Despite acknowledging the difficulties, Ouaddou refused to use the departures as an excuse and stressed that winning remains his responsibility.

"My job is not to look for excuses. It's to build, to find solutions and to keep bringing success and to win."

The MTN8 finalists now shift their attention to the Betway Premiership, where they face Kruger United at Mbombela Stadium on Tuesday evening.

Pirates are currently on top of the log standings with 10 points, level with their Wafa Wafa final opponents Mamelodi Sundowns after four games.

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