Training rules stun Pitso
PITSO: STARTLED BY COVID-19 TRAINING PROTOCOLS
Sundowns mentor admits he was left shocked by the detail that had to go into the process.
Pitso Mosimane says he was taken by surprise by the intricacies of all the new Covid-19 regulations that Mamelodi Sundowns had to implement for a return to training.
The Masandawana head coach was well aware that it would not be business as usual, but was still left shocked by the detail that had to go into the process.
Masandawana are camping at the Royal Marang Hotel and Bafokeng Sports Campus in Rustenburg where, Rulani Mokwena is expected to link up with them after re-joining the team as its assistant coach.
“We knew, but when you face it, it is something else!” said Mosimane.
“We have a different type of training, small groups and we hang around the pitch so that we can welcome all of the groups, it is more time-consuming and it is expensive to make sure that we have the equipment. The sanitizers, the disinfecting of balls, the disinfecting of free-kick props and bibs. Everybody has got his own basket which has their own boots, sanitizer, and mask,” said Mosimane.
“It is a strange feeling because when we meet we usually meet at a certain time and we are always together, hugging and greeting each other. It has been three months since we saw each other but the funny part is that we now meet on the WhatsApp group because everybody comes in and gets his key and goes straight to his room. The rules have been put (in place) by the doctors, no hanging around, no loitering,” he added.
Mosimane revealed that his side trains in small groups of about four players at a time and that does not do much in terms of preparing the team tactically, but he admitted that he had no choice but to stick to the regulations.
“It is the way the situation is and we have to respect Covid-19 and understand the situation as it is.
“We do a non-contact training session, it is not easy to address the tactical side of the game.”