‘If I were Orlando Pirates coach, I'd let it loose,' says Pirates coach lookalike, actor Mbulelo Grootboom

The Citizen

26-06-2025

One of the jokes that gained traction after Ouaddou's appointment was that he resembles actor Mbulelo Grootboom.
Some people have said that new Orlando Pirats coach Abdeslam Ouaddou and actor Mbulelo Grootboom lookalike. Pictures: @Nemza007 (X) and Mbulelo Grootboom (Facebook)
Soon after the dust settled on Orlando Pirates hiring Moroccan coach Abdeslam Ouaddou—rather than the widely expected Rhulani Mokwena—social media users began trolling Ouaddou for being relatively unknown in South Africa.
One of the jokes that gained traction after Ouaddou's appointment was that he resembles South African actor Mbulelo Grootboom.
'The comparison between me and the Orlando Pirates coach is really hilarious,' a giggling Grootboom tells The Citizen.
The actor, whom many would know from TV shows such as Gqeberha: The Empire, said he has also found the joke quite humbling.
'Because now I'm the meme or the laughing stock of the country, which I know is a joke. I find that really humbling and honouring that people are laughing because of me. I love it,' he said, admitting that there are some similarities between the two.
'…our facial structures because of the cheekbones and all of that, other than that, the guy doesn't really look like me. But I understand, I see why people would think he looks like me.'
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I'd let Pirates loose
Grootboom, an ardent Kaizer Chiefs supporter, says if he were the Pirates coach, he'd sabotage the club.
'I know 'hate' is a strong word, but Pirates, I hate Pirates because of the rivalry between Kaizer Chiefs and Pirates.'
'If I were the Orlando Pirates coach, I'd let it loose because I'm a diehard fan of Kaizer Chiefs. Even though at some point I stopped watching South African soccer because Kaizer Chiefs kept on losing, and I was tired of getting my heart broken because of Kaizer Chiefs,' says Grootboom.
To shield himself from further heartbreak from the Chiefs' consistently disappointing performances, he avoids watching their games.
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Grootboom on Niggies
Grootboom is part of the cast of the Afrikaans drama Niggies, which airs on KykNET, playing the role of Samuel.
'Bing part of Niggies was really amazing. Working with a stellar cast, the actors who were there are people who I've wanted to work with and some I've worked with before. The work that they put in, the artistry, the craft is off the charts,' he said.
He said he also enjoyed working with show director Jaco Bouwer, whom he's previously worked with in theatre.
Niggies explores the real-life story of the 1966 kidnapping and murder of young Issie Fourie and Petro Nel in the quiet town of Odendaalsrus. The case remained unsolved for 18 years.
'Also, dealing with a true-life event for me as an actor, it requires you, of which I like, to be as honest and authentic as possible. So you can't leave any stone unturned because you're talking about real people's lives, you can't cut corners,' he shared.
He speaks Afrikaans on the show, which has pushed him as an actor. 'I learnt a lot from that because when I do a project, I always want to learn something of it.'
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Grootboom the diverse actor
He has demonstrated his versatility throughout his career through the various roles he has taken on. Being able to be part of a Xhosa TV show like Gqeberha and also dabble in a different market that a show like Niggies speaks to, shows his skill.
'There are more actors than jobs in South Africa, so you, as an actor, being able to be versatile like this, sets you apart from the other actors,' he says.
He says he gets immersed in his characters, hence he prefers not to call himself an actor because that's akin to pretending.
'I hate when people say we're pretending. I don't pretend; I need to be in it, my heart and soul.'
He is not pedantic about being seen as an on-camera actor or a thespian in the theatre, although he admits that when he was young, he'd be more excited about being on stage.
'They are different mediums, but the approach for me is still the same. The theatre is obviously live, whatever mistakes you make in theatre, you must improvise-that's the exciting part of theatre,' he says.
'But then, television, there's a camera, you can cut…but television or camera is more nuanced, it's more immediate, as theatre, but the camera is more nuanced because the camera is here, and you can't lie to the camera. The camera will always pick up if you're not honest about what you're doing.'
He admits a love for both mediums.
He spoke to The Citizen while filming the eTV show Kelders Van Geheime, a Xhosa and Afrikaans drama.
'I'm at a point in my career now where I'm playing father roles, which I appreciate,' says Grootboom, who plays the role of a father with two sons on the show.
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