Collins Mbesuma can flourish in The Premiership, according to African legend Abedi Pele.
New Portsmouth signing Collins Mbesuma has the ability to flourish in The Premiership, according to African football legend Abedi Pele.
Three-time African Player of the Year Pele took Europe by storm in the early 1990s, winning the European Cup with Marseille.
Now the Ghanaian is tipping Mbesuma - whose 25 goals for Kaiser Chiefs secured him the South African Player of the Year accolade - to wow English crowds.
"I see a lot of future in him," Pele told South African newspaper The Post.
"The boy is strong and his gravity on the ground is firm.
"There is no doubt he has the ability to succeed in England.
"He should be lucky and get a good coach who will study him so that he can adapt to the style of play."
Zambian Mbesuma featured in the last 15 minutes of Portsmouth's 2-0 defeat at home to Tottenham on Saturday.
The forward nearly got on the scoresheet in the closing minutes and Pele believes there is more to come.
Pele added: "Such a player requires time on the pitch because his sense of goal is great.
"I think he proved it here in South Africa by scoring so many goals."
