Sebastian Pedersen: How Orlando Pirates are sharpening new striker

Orlando Pirates coach Abdeslam Ouaddou has outlined the key area where new signing Sebastian Pedersen must improve to make his mark with the Soweto giants: his physical conditioning.

Pedersen made his much-anticipated debut for the Buccaneers last weekend, appearing as a substitute in their 1-0 MTN8 semi-final first-leg win against Sekhukhune United.

The 24-year-old striker came on for Yanela Mbuthuma in the 65th minute of the match at the Old Peter Mokaba Stadium, where a Deon Hotto goal secured a crucial advantage for Pirates.

While Ouaddou praised Pedersen’s technical skills and intelligent movement, he noted that the forward is not yet at the physical level required to thrive in the team’s system.

Pirates coach on areas of improvement

“He is clever in the game. He is going into the spaces that we want to find him… We are able to find him in the pocket,” Ouaddou commented as per Vodacom Soccer. “His technical quality is very interesting. I am sure that he is really going to help the team.”

However, the coach identified a significant weakness during Pedersen’s cameo, observing that the striker’s fitness levels dropped after about 15 minutes of action.

“But, like I said in the previous press conference, the basics in football, even if you have such quality, you need good preparation,” Ouaddou explained. “You need to be ready physically, and you can see today that after 15 minutes, he was short physically.”

How Ouaddou is helping Pedersen

Ouaddou stressed that while there is no question about Pedersen’s talent, the forward must now dedicate himself to building his fitness on the training ground to meet the high demands of the Pirates’ game plan.

“We will keep working with him in order to bring him to the high level of fitness that I want for my game model,” the coach affirmed. “He still needs to increase the physical work to be able to shine and show us his quality because he has quality.”

Pedersen may have another chance to improve his match fitness when Pirates face Sekhukhune again, this time in a Betway Premiership clash at the Orlando Amstel Arena on Tuesday. Following that, the Buccaneers will shift their focus back to the MTN8, where they only need to avoid defeat in the second leg to book their spot in a fifth straight final.