Norwegian urged to be patient amid concerns he won’t deliver

Is it too early to judge Orlando Pirates’ new striker Sebastian Pedersen amid suggestions he could follow in the footsteps of some of the club’s failed foreign strikers?

Like Norwegian Pedersen, the likes of Souaibou Marou, Jean-Marc Makusu and Kwame Pepra arrived at Pirates after much fanfare but ultimately left without delivering on their promise.

Legendary striker Andries Sebola, who played for Pirates in the mid-90s, believes Pedersen will come good once he settles in.

Dubbed “Baby Haaland” because he hails from the same country as the deadly Erling Haaland, of Manchester City in England, Pirates have preferred not to rush Pedersen as he works his way up to full sharpness.

Coach Abdeslam Ouaddou has previously noted that Pedersen was not yet at 100% match fitness after arriving from Norwegian club Sogndal Fotball during the off-season.

“When they signed him, they saw the future. It’s a matter of time and given a chance to know his teammates I think he will make it,” Sebola said of the striker.

“The boy will rise to the occasion. He is not a bad player. He will give competition to the other strikers that have been there. Now people are crying too much about [Yanela] Mbuthuma’s performance, he is on and off.

“Let’s give him time, it is not easy to come from where he was to acclimatise. He is not like Brayan León at [Mamelodi] Sundowns, there it’s a different team altogether.”

Pedersen, 27, came with too much hype amid Pirates’ recent struggle to find a goal poacher. He has struggled to win game time even when leading striker Evidence Makgopa was out injured.

“They must introduce him gradually, one thing for sure... he is going to deliver. He is hungry, you can see the movement, [but] does he get the supply?” Sebola asked.

“The only thing that worries me much is that a lot of players are coming back from injury now and it is a matter of being patient. I followed him before he came to Pirates and I’m quite sure we will see the difference.”

Sebola also feels it’s still early to judge him now as he has not been given enough matches to play. He has only made four appearances − all as a substitute across all competitions. “He is still trying to adapt to the the kind of football we play in SA.”

Foreign strikers who’ve flopped at Pirates in recent years

Bienvenu Eva Nga (Cameroon)

The striker was so bad he returned to Chippa, from where he was signed, without making impact. He scored one goal in 17 appearances between June 2022 and January 2024.

Jean-Marc Makusu (DR Congo)

Makusu joined the Buccaneers on loan from AS Vita with a reputation of a lethal goalscorer in November 2020. But his time in SA was marred by poor fitness and a lack of adaptation. He scored once in eight appearances.

Souaibou Marou (Cameroon)

After arriving with immense hype for making Cameroon’s 2022 Fifa World Cup squad, Marou’s stay at the Buccaneers was short-lived. He left the club in 2024 without scoring in any of his nine appearances.

Kwame Peprah (Ghana)

The striker had a disappointing stint after joining the club in 2021 from Ghana’s King Faisal. He was loaned out to Maritzburg United where he also failed to do much.