"It's hard" – St. Pauli's Abdoulie Ceesay opens up on tactical struggles and "frustrating" goal drought | OneFootball

Gambian forward Abdoulie Ceesay has found minutes hard to come by in 2026, playing just 21 minutes of Bundesliga football for FC St. Pauli across six brief appearances since the turn of the year.

With only four league matches remaining and St. Pauli currently sitting in the relegation playoff spot, the 22-year-old is trying to stay motivated, hoping for a chance to help his side secure another season in Germany’s top flight.

“It’s hard, but you have to stay strong in this kind of situation. You don’t look at yourself first; you look at the position of your teammates, and then you try to push yourself to help the team stay in good shape,” Ceesay told Bulinews.com.

While acknowledging that head coach Alexander Blessin’s system is not an ideal fit for him, the forward wants to make the most of every opportunity he gets on the pitch.

“To be honest, the way we play is a bit difficult for me, especially as a central striker. The formation we use is hard for strikers. But the coach makes the tactics and the game plan, and you just have to adapt and prove yourself on the pitch," said Ceesay, who has featured a total of 20 times this season without starting.

“It's hard. But it's the system of the coach. He's the leader, and you have to do what he wants and bring quality to the pitch.”

“Frustrating” goal drought

Almost a year and a half after joining St. Pauli from Estonian side Paide, Ceesay is still waiting for his first goal for the club. The 22-year-old admits this is “frustrating” and says he is eager to finally score in front of the fans.

“It's very frustrating not to have scored since joining the club," Ceesay said.

“It's going to be a special moment for me. I look forward to it every game, and I hope it will happen before the end of the season. It stopped me a bit in the beginning, but you have to stay strong,” he added.

Ceesay also reveals it took time to adjust to the Bundesliga level after stepping up from the Estonian league, but feels he is now in a much better place.

“The level here is far, far different. It was tough in the beginning, but I can see that I'm getting to the level step by step," the striker explained.

“When I arrived, everything was so quick – the tempo, the training, everything. The coach helped me with the basics and how he wants to play.

“The transitions are so fast here; if you lose the ball in certain positions, you hurt your own team because opponents can score in just two or three passes. He has helped me understand where to position myself and how to create space to finish quickly.”

No thoughts of summer move amid relegation battle

Despite his limited playing time, Ceesay insists he is not currently thinking about a move at the end of the season, instead focusing fully on St. Pauli’s relegation battle.

“I have no idea," he responded when asked by Bulinews.com if a summer transfer could be on the cards for him. 

“Right now, my only focus is on the team and helping us stay in the league. That's the main thing for me. Once that's done, we'll see what happens in the future," added Ceesay, who is now facing a crucial relegation six-pointer with St. Pauli on Saturday away to bottom side 1. FC Heidenheim.

“We have four important games to stay in the league, and we’re looking forward to them. We’re very focused,” the striker underlined.