.png){kind=small}
Orlando Pirates have handed first-team call-ups to three DStv Diski Challenge winners as the PSL champions continue their pre-season camp at the Marbella Football Centre in Spain. Academy products Cristian Derbyshire, Simphiwe Masilela and Mpho Padime — who helped Pirates Reserves clinch the DDC title last season — are now training alongside the senior squad under head coach Abdeslam Ouaddou.
The Buccaneers are back in Malaga for the fourth successive pre-season and have five friendly matches scheduled during their stay. The first comes on Wednesday when Pirates face Spanish Segunda Division side Cordoba, with kick-off set for 19:00 SAST. It is the earliest possible opportunity for new and emerging players to stake a claim in what promises to be a fiercely competitive squad.
Competition is already stiff. Ghampani Lungu, Neo Rapoo and Mthetheleli Mthiyane are among the new arrivals looking to make an immediate impression, while the trio of DDC graduates adds a layer of youthful energy to a group that finished the 2025/26 Betway Premiership season as champions. Pirates topped the final standings on 69 points, one ahead of Mamelodi Sundowns, and the expectation is that Ouaddou will want to build on that title-winning platform without missing a beat.
The blend of fresh signings, academy graduates and established professionals gives the technical staff real options across every position. Wednesday's clash against Cordoba is the first chance to see how those combinations take shape ahead of a new campaign where defending the title will demand even more from this squad.