Cape Town - Rivaldo Coetzee was a notable absentee as Ajax Cape Town kicked off their pre-season training programme this week.
Because of his punishing playing schedule, the Cape club has given the precocious 19-year-old a well-deserved break.
The teenager from the Northern Cape has represented the senior national team and the SA U23 squad regularly over the last two years.
He has also been a mainstay in the Ajax PSL team. He’s played a lot of football - and it’s not about to slow down.Just last month, Coetzee captained Bafana to victory in the Cosafa Cup and, next month, he’s expected to play an influential role when the SA U23s participate in the Olympic Games in Brazil.
Ajax are certainly aware that there needs to be a delicate balance between rest and training if they are to get the best out of Coetzee, pictured.”We have to manage him carefully,” said Ajax’s new assistant-coach Mich d’Avray.
“He’s still young, but he’s a played a lot of football over the last two years. We have to make sure we monitor him because we would hate him to break down during the season.”
SA U23 head coach Owen da Gama is yet to name his final squad for the Rio Olympics but D’Avray said this week that, in addition to Coetzee, Ajax expect goalkeeper Jody February and striker Tashreeq Morris to make the trip to Brazil.
The South Africans qualified for the Olympics football event by ending third in the African qualifying tournament last year. Strandfontein’s February starred in that campaign, making a series of penalty saves to take his team to victory in the third-place play-off.
Morris has been in sensational form for Ajax - and, if his place is confirmed, it will be his first call-up to the SA U23 squad.The team’s Olympics preparations are under way, though results haven’t been too positive of late.
Recently, they lost 3-1 to Brazil and 4-1 to Japan in warm-up friendlies.In the aftermath of the heavy defeat to Japan, Da Gama admitted that the opposition was just too good on the day. The coach, however, also added that the opportunity to play such friendlies would benefit the SA U23s in the long run.”It’s all about preparation for the Olympics,” said Da Gama.
“I thought the players were a bit tired because of the travel and the playing schedule (most of the squad had also been part of Bafana Bafana’s Cosafa Cup success). But that is what we wanted. It’s all about mental strength and it’s what we are trying to emphasise to the players in these friendly games. They’ve got to adjust because that is what they will come up against in Rio.”
The good news for Da Gama is that teams are allowed to use three over-age players, with the trio looking likely to be Itumeleng Khune‚ Erick Mathoho and Andile Jali.
If so, they will certainly offer Da Gama the experience and mental strength he seeks.
Cape Argus