Struggling up front for Orlando Pirates, Sebastian Pedersen can count on the support of Andries Sebola, a club legend. He is calling for patience with the 27-year-old Norwegian striker.
Sebastian Pedersen’s start in an Orlando Pirates shirt has been a difficult one. The 27-year-old Norwegian striker is enduring a tough introduction to the Premier Soccer League, according to Afrik-Foot, and is already being compared to the club’s past flops.
Faced with these difficulties, a familiar voice at the Buccaneers has stepped forward to calm things down. Andries Sebola, a South African football legend and pundit, defended the new centre-forward in the pages of the daily Sowetan, as reported by Afrik-Foot.
“It’s a matter of time”
Sebola does not deny Pedersen’s current difficulties, but refuses to pass a definitive verdict on him. “When they signed him, they saw the future. It’s a matter of time and, once he has had the chance to get to know his teammates well, I think he will succeed,” he said, according to comments reported by Sowetan via Afrik-Foot.
The former player insists on one specific point: supply. Pedersen, he stresses, is not yet receiving enough balls from the Orlando Pirates wingers and midfielders. An observation that invites a more measured view of the Scandinavian’s responsibility for the club’s attacking difficulties.
“The boy will rise to the occasion. He is not a bad player. He will bring competition for the other strikers,” added Sebola, again quoted by Afrik-Foot. He also calls for the player to be integrated very gradually, a request aimed directly at the technical staff.
A heavy nickname to carry
The Pedersen case is complicated by his label. Some followers nickname him “Baby Haaland”, because of his build and Nordic profile. The nickname weighs on the shoulders of a striker brought in to fill the gap left by the departure of star goalscorer Tshegofatso Mabasa.
The context does not help. Comparisons already link him to recent Orlando Pirates flops such as Jean-Marc Makusu, Kwame Pepra and Souaibou Marou. Sebola refuses to endorse such parallels, preferring to stress the difference in adaptation between Pedersen and Brayan León, the prolific striker at rivals Mamelodi Sundowns.
The pressure has increased on the whole Buccaneers attack. Young striker Yanela Mbuthuma is also producing patchy performances, while the club manages a wave of returning players from injury in its attacking and creative departments.
The title and the continent in their sights
Orlando Pirates want to retain their PSL title and shine on the continental stage this season. In that context, the patience called for by Sebola will have to be balanced against the need for results.
The upcoming fixtures in the Premier Soccer League and in African interclub competitions will show whether Pedersen manages to find his feet.