adminJOHANNESBURG. — South Africa coach Gordon Igesund has revealed what went down with Thulani Serero, who was kicked out of the Bafana camp for “disciplinary reasons”.
Nothing is lost in translation as Igesund puts it word for word and he is adamant it was not a harsh decision. Read on . . .
What happened?
Igesund is joined on the podium by his assistant Serame Letsoaka, goalkeeper coach Alex Heredia and team doctor, Carl Tabane and tells us the full story.
“I’m gonna tell you what went down exactly word for word, situation for situation. On Thursday I had already informed Thulani Serero that he’s been excellent at training, he’s performing well and I need him to take it to the next step. I said to him everyone in this country knows he plays in Holland and I asked him to show the people in this country what kind of a player he is. I said, ‘I’m gonna tell you right now that I’m gonna start you on Saturday (against Botswana). I want you to start expressing yourself and getting in the right frame of mind’. I know he is a type of player that I need to get into his mind and start working. He trained on Thursday and he then went to my team doctor to tell him he’s got a tight muscle in his thigh/groin area.
The doctor checked him out and said he is okay — he is 100% and there is a no groin injury. The doctor had six or seven players in the team with tight muscles. He trained that session and again he was outstanding, looking very good and moving the ball around. Excellent.
On Friday, which was yesterday, my assistant coach Serame came to me and he said Thulani had approached him to tell him he doesn’t want to play. Serame said Thulani felt that he might get injured and he needs to play for his team (Ajax Amsterdam).
So I was quite shocked with that and I called Thulani, my doctor and my assistant coach to a meeting in my room. I asked Thulani, ‘Are you injured’? He said, ‘I have a tight muscle and I’m scared I might injure myself’. So I said, ‘Thulani, you got to work with me here son.
You know I want you in the team and now you say you don’t want to play’. So I asked him, ‘What do you want me to say when people ask me why you are not playing?’ and he said if they ask him he would say no comment . . .
The doctor was there and I asked him, ‘I want to know from you doctor, has Thulani got a slight injury?’ The doctor said he doesn’t have an injury and he’s got a tight muscle like six or seven other players.
It turns out Thulani told the doctor that he doesn’t want to play because he’s got a big game in Holland next week — a UEFA Champions League match and he can’t afford to get injured. — KickOff.com
Online Reporter