Posted in News on Feb 08, 2007.
New national team coach Carlos Alberto Parreira closed off a four-day training and orientation camp. He did so by organizing a practice match, due to the fact that the national team were short of numbers to make up two teams. Parriera opted to call upon reinforcements in order for the game to go ahead, the reinforcements came in the form six Chiefs players who boosted the Amakhosi’s overall number at the final training session to ten.
The six additional players Scara Ngobese, Gert Schalkwyk, Kaizer Motaung Junior, Fabian McCarthy, David Radebe and Jimmy Tau joined up with Chiefs teammates Rowen Fernandez, Siyabonga Nkosi, Siphiwe Mkhonza and Cyril Nzama, who were part of the training camp which began on Sunday for Wednesday afternoon’s game.
The Chiefs connection continued to dominate proceedings with midfielder Siyabonga Nkosi opening up the scoring for the team coached by Carlos Alberto Parreira. Former Kaizer Chiefs striker Siyabonga Nomvete doubled his teams lead as the team lead by Parreira scored a two-nil victory over the make-shift team instructed by Pitso Mosimane and Khabo Zondo.
Chiefs captain Cyril Nzama, who had been apart of the inaugural training camp under Carlos Alberto Parreira, was truly impressed by the new Bafana Bafana coach and said, “The camp was really enjoyable. We got the opportunity to get used to Carlos as well as his system and coaching methods. It was different to the way we normally do things with the national team and he also went to great lengths to make all the guys feel welcome at the camp. Generally there was a cheerful atmosphere over the period of the camp”.
Nzama furthermore believes that the arrival of the new coach has brought new life to the national team set up, and generally there exists a feel-good factor within the national team. Parreira will be able to impart his vast knowledge of the game by using his experience as a two-time Fifa World Cup Winner over to the players he will be guiding over the next few years, and it is up to the players and the association to make the most of the opportunity presented to them by having a coach of Parreira’s calibre to work with.
The Chiefs defender believes that Parreira will have a long stay in South Africa and explains further “After spending the last couple of days with Carlos, I must add that I do feel optimistic about what he has to offer South African football. Like myself, a lot of the other guys are hopeful that under his leadership we will once again be a force not just in Africa but in the world. We have been gifted with the opportunity of working with such a well renowned coach and it is up to us a players to make the most of this opportunity”.
The Amakhosi originally had five players at the camp, which began on Sunday and culminated on Wednesday evening. Midfielder Siphiwe Tshabalala who had recently undergone and operation on his right knee, was allowed to leave the camp on Monday and returned to Chiefs as he was unable to train with the team. It is hoped that once he has fully recovered, Siphiwe will continue to feature in the national teams activities.
