It is not easy! De Jong’s initial struggles at Orlando Pirates explained

In the January short Premier Soccer League transfer window, Orlando Pirates strengthened their team.

Among the players who were brought on board is the versatile former Stellenbosch midfielder Andre de Jong. The Kiwi was signed to ensure the quality in the final third is maintained as the Soweto giants pushed for a treble, a bid they failed after their recent elimination from the Nedbank Cup by Casric Stars.

In that game, the New Zealand international was played as a false nine, but struggled to make an impact as both regulation and extra time ended 0-0 and the second-tier outfit won the shootout 5-4.

Coach Abdeslam Ouaddou has jumped to the defense of the towering attacker, insisting it was always going to be hard for him to fit in seamlessly after joining the team mid-season.

De Jong did well against Casric Stars

“You know about Andre. When you come in the middle of the season, for any player, it’s not easy, but I think he’s doing his best to adapt to the team,” the 47-year-old former Fulham defender said in a presser.

“We decided to give him game-time [against Casric Stars], and to be honest, I think that he did well in what we asked from him. Of course, we needed the goal, but the goal doesn’t come from him; the goal can come from all the front line.

“His integration is coming step by step. You can tell me that we don’t have such time in a club like Orlando Pirates, but we don’t have a choice; we just have to back him, and not only him, all the new players,” Ouaddou concluded.

It is now interesting to see whether De Jong will have a role to play in Saturday’s Soweto derby against traditional rivals Kaizer Chiefs. Bucs are aiming at bouncing back from back-to-back defeats against Mamelodi Sundowns and Casric Stars, respectively.