Posted in News on Jan 03, 2008.
For The Amakhosi though the return is this Saturday when they get back to training to prepare for the second half of the season. Although Chiefs are not in competitive action until mid-February, they will be aiming to ensure that when they do get back to regular competition, Muhsin Ertugral has a full fit squad to choose from.
One of the players itching to get back to working on the training ground and in the gym to regain his full fitness is Derrick Spencer, who has been nursing a hamstring injury since the 12th December.
Prior to his injury during Chiefs 4-2 win against Golden Arrows in an ABSA Premiership match, Spencer had seen a revival in his fortunes because until the start of December he had not featured in a match for the Amakhosi.
A sterling display won him the man-of-the-match award in the Telkom Knock Out Cup Final on the 1st December in his first game for Chiefs this season. He has not let is injury get him down and has been hard at work during the past fortnight labouring his way back to full fitness.
With the next seven weeks to find his feet Derrick relying on his past experience believes that Chiefs always come back with good results after a lengthy break due to the Africa Cup of Nations, and feels that this season will be no different.
Holiday job
While most of his teammates used the two weeks off to rest, Spencer who was at home in Kwa-Zulu Natal spent most of the time working in a local gym, which has helped him come through a rehabilitation programme and he has already begun to see the results of the extra hours in the gym pay dividends.
Spencer said, “I have had a really good month I had time to be at home with my family and on top of that I felt that I was able to put in a lot of time in the gym, I am feeling stronger and much leaner. I was given a programme to follow and I followed it to the latter and I am confident once the club physiotherapist examines me when training resumes on Saturday he will allow me be happy with my progress and within a couple of days I wish to start jogging again”.
Nations Cup Recuperation
Spencer who turns 28 in May this year transferred to Chiefs around four years ago during the 2004 January transfer window, which meant that he was part of the Amakhosi’s run in to their inaugural PSL title in 2003 – 2004. Derrick who joined Chiefs in January 2004 had to wait to make his debut, which he did in February 2004; the reason for this was because just like this season the PSL was on an extended recess because of the 2004 Africa Cup of Nations, which was taking place in Tunisia. After the Nations Cup The Amakhosi raced home to the title, Spencer believes that the rest afforded them by the Nations Cup break worked in their favour in 2004 saying.
“I feel that because of the Nations Cup in Tunisia the team was able to conserve their energy, got the necessary rest and came back rejuvenated and they basically continued off from where we they were before the Nations Cup. Prior to the nations cup break the guys had won the Coca Cola Cup in December 2003 and we were fighting on the league front, the break came at the perfect time and basically gave us a reprieve and we were able to come back and win the league”.
Nations Cup Comeback
The 2004 Africa Cup of Nations was not the only time the break because of the continent's showpiece competition has come in the way to assist The Amakhosi. Two years ago in 2006 when the tournament was in Egypt, Chiefs again enjoyed success in the second in the half of the season as Spencer explains. “I think two years ago we saw that the break we enjoy with the Nations Cup brought us repeated success after Egypt in 2006 we won the ABSA Cup in the latter stage of the 2005 – 2006 season. Personally I am definitely for this extended break I believe this time around things will not be any different and this extra time off will allow us to regroup and come back stronger, all I will say is watch us in the period from February to May”.
