Former Orlando Pirates midfielder Myeni calls for more chances for Pedersen

Former Orlando Pirates player Sifiso Myeni has urged head coach Abdeslam Ouaddou and his technical team to give Sebastian Pedersen a sustained opportunity to prove himself, saying the striker has not been treated fairly since joining the club.

Pedersen moved to the Buccaneers from Norwegian side Sogndal at the beginning of the season. The 27-year-old signed a two-year contract with Orlando Pirates, with the option of extending the agreement by an additional year.

However, the forward has made only limited appearances in matchday squads since his arrival, leaving his role under Ouaddou unclear. Myeni believes Pedersen should be afforded the same opportunities as the club’s other strikers.

Speaking on Omni Audio Africa, Myeni said: “Orlando Pirates are not fair to Pedersen. Give the man a chance, guys. The way you’ve been giving the strikers a chance.”

He pointed to Evidence Makgopa, Boitumelo Radiopane and Yanela Mbuthuma as players who had received opportunities, and argued that Pedersen should be judged on a similar basis.

“[Evidence] Makgopa, [Boitumelo] Radiopane, [Yanela] Mbuthuma, Pedersen also deserves the same chance that everyone is getting, guys,” Myeni added.

“As Orlando Pirates supporters, we want to see more of him getting a chance so that we can judge him, because now a lot of people are judging him when we haven’t seen that much from him.”

Myeni wants Pirates to give Pedersen a run

Myeni said the difference in playing time between Pedersen and the other forwards was significant, making it difficult to assess the Norwegian striker fairly.

“Some have had five, six, seven, eight games. All of them have had a lot of games, but Pedersen’s games are very few, do you understand? So Orlando Pirates, can we see more of Pedersen,” he said.

The former Buccaneers player acknowledged that the club’s priority was to win, but maintained that supporters also wanted to see Pedersen given a proper run in the team.

“We know that you guys want to win, but us as fans, we would like to see more of Pedersen. We can’t sign a player and then not have a say. Let’s see him.

“Everyone has gotten a chance. So Orlando Pirates, please, we beg you, and I beg you personally, I want to see more of him.”

Pedersen’s limited involvement has therefore continued to prompt questions over when he will be given a longer opportunity to compete for a regular place in the Orlando Pirates attack.