Orlando Pirates boss Abdeslam Ouaddou backs Sebastian Pedersen to improve after debut

Orlando Pirates coach Abdeslam Ouaddou has praised Sebastian Pedersen’s promising first official appearance for the club but warned the Norwegian striker must improve his fitness before he can make his full impact.

Pedersen, 24, came off the bench in the 65th minute for Yanela Mbuthuma as Pirates defeated Sekhukhune United 1-0 in the first leg of their MTN8 semi-final at the Old Peter Mokaba Stadium on Saturday.

Deon Hotto scored the only goal of the match, giving the Buccaneers a narrow advantage before the return fixture in Soweto.

Ouaddou was encouraged by Pedersen’s movement and his ability to find space during his first appearance in the club’s colours. The coach said the forward displayed the fighting attitude expected from the Pirates squad and showed quality when in possession.

“I think he came with a lot of aim to score if he got a chance to open his goalscoring (chart). He fights, he joined the fighting spirit of our team. You can see really, he is clever,” said Ouaddou post-match.

“He is clever in the game. He is going into the spaces that we want to find him. He can find the deep… We are able to find him in the pocket. His technique quality is very interesting. I am sure that he is really going to help the team.”

However, the former AS Vita coach believes Pedersen needs more preparation before he is ready to perform consistently within the demands of his tactical system.

Ouaddou said the striker began to tire after about 15 minutes on the field, despite the technical ability he showed during his brief appearance.

“But, like I said in the previous press conference, the basics in football, even if you have such quality, you need good preparation. You need to be ready physically, and you can see today that after 15 minutes, he was short physically. We will keep working with him in order to bring him to the high level of fitness that I want for my game model.

“He still needs to increase the physical work to be able to shine and show us his quality because he has quality,” the former AS Vita coach added.

Pedersen’s debut came as Pirates took an important step towards another MTN8 final. They need at least a draw in the second leg to reach the competition’s showpiece for a fifth consecutive season.

Before then, the forward is expected to have another opportunity to feature in front of the club’s home supporters when Pirates host Sekhukhune in a Betway Premiership match at the Orlando Amstel Arena on Tuesday at 19:30.

The fixture will provide Pedersen with a chance to continue building his match fitness as he adapts to his new team and works towards the level required by Ouaddou.