Ouaddou confirms Pedersen faces race against time for opening game

Pedersen joined Pirates from a Norwegian second division club, Sogndal. During their pre-season in Spain, he’s been described as the missing piece of the puzzle who comes to the Bucs camp with goals. 

To be eligible to play, he needs his International Transfer Clearance (ITC) and work permit to be sorted, and Ouaddou is not sure if all is ready yet...

"I don't think he will be available for that game, but maybe later on because there is an administrative issue and that's something we can't control."

READ: SAFA NEC to decide on the next Bafana coach next weekend - Jordaan

As the Bucs kick-off the new season, Ouaddou is looking forward to his team starting well and setting the tone for the season, with August being a critical and hectic month of more than seven matches to be played, depending on their progress in the MTN8.

Last season, Pirates had a proud home record, but they didn’t start well, losing their first two matches to Sekhukhune United and Marumo Gallants. Ouaddou emphasises the importance of getting off to a good start this time around...

"It is very important to start well. Firstly, it is important because you set the tone for the rest of the season, and secondly we want to show that we are still starving for titles and victories. We want to give the fans trust once again which is very important because they are part of the ecosystem."

With a current squad of 41 players, Pirates, who will be competing in five competitions this season, will be looking at utilizing their talent wisely this season, with some of the youngsters still expected to be loaned out. However, what is key to Ouaddou is to always keep the squad refreshed.