Orlando Pirates head coach Abdeslam Ouaddou says Sebastian Pedersen ‘is not far’ from becoming a starter but was wary of throwing him in the deep end without adapting completely, which includes the altitude factor.
Pedersen arrived in a competitive attacking department, with Ouaddou highlighting the importance of carefully managing his integration into a new environment rather than rushing him into action.
With less than 90 minutes of action under his belt since his arrival from Norway, the likes of Yanela Mbuthuma, Evidence Makgopa and Boitumelo Radiopane are seemingly ahead of the pecking order.
But the Pirates coach is pleased with the forward’s commitment and progress in training but believes several factors must be considered before giving him an extended run in the team.
“There’s no issues with Sebastian, I’m happy with his commitment, I’m happy about his integration, we are doing everything to help him,” Ouaddou said.
“Like I said, we have many strikers in that area. For sure, he’s working very hard in training, we are trying to give him really 90 minutes in the legs, with the impact players, and he’s doing well.
“So I’m just expecting the right moment to bring him into our team. I’m sure he’s somebody who is going to help us.”
Ouaddou also pointed to the challenges players can face when moving to a new environment, explaining that the club wants to ensure Pedersen is physically ready before exposing him to the demands of competitive football.
The coach stressed that he does not want to rush the striker’s introduction, with the technical team carefully assessing when he will be best placed to make an impact.
“At the same time, I already spoke about this issue, when you come into a new environment, it’s very important to bring the player in at the right timing. I don’t want to burn the player, so we have to analyse the right moment to bring him in, to help the team,” he added.
“He’s close. What I’m seeing in training, he’s doing great things.”
Another factor is Johannesburg’s altitude – particularly when assessing a new signing’s readiness to handle the physical demands of the game in Africa.
“Something that is very important as well, he comes into a city where we are over 1,000 metres altitude. You understand, so when you play at sea level and you come to a city playing at high altitude, it’s not easy, hey, it’s not easy,” Ouaddou explained.
“All these factors must be taken into consideration in order to help the player.”