South Africa’s Under-23 captain Tercious Malepe is optimistic he might still be able to captain the national team at the Olympic Games next year.
Due to the coronavirus pandemic that has engulfed the world, the global showpiece that was set to be hosted in Tokyo in July and August has been postponed to next year.
This new arrangement is a double-edged sword for some athletes - some will get more time to prepare, while it will affect those who will be on the wrong side of the age restrictions.
By the time the ball gets rolling in Tokyo, Malepe would be 24 years of age.
This means that the Chippa United defender could only be selected as one of the three overage players then.
However, there hasn’t been a word from the organisers on whether players who’d have been eligible to play this year will still keep their place next year.
Malepe, though, is hopeful that he’ll still keep his place, especially having played a huge role in the qualifiers, captaining the South Africans to a third place finish in the Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) in Egypt late last year.
“I really can’t say that I am disappointed about the postponement of the Olympics because this is something that has affected the world. So it’s a world crisis that we are facing because people are losing their lives,” Malepe explained.
“We don’t know what will happen with the age restrictions at the moment; they are the ones who’ll make a decision. But if things don’t go our way, it will be disappointing. If I am not selected, there’ll be no hard feelings. I think I have done really well for the team.”
As a precautionary measure to curb the virus, the country has been placed under lockdown, while the domestic season has been suspended indefinitely.
The Chilli Boys are 12th on the PSL log standings with 26 points, six ahead of basement dwellers Black Leopards, while they have only six matches to save their top-flight status.
“Obviously what’s going on right now is serious and we have to do what’s best. Staying indoors is tough but there are specialised programmes that we’ve got to follow. So, when we come back to training, we have to work more on our speed and movement techniques,” Malepe explained.
In their bid to stay afloat, the Chippa roped in Rhulani Mokwena, the former Orlando Pirates and Mamelodi Sundowns assistant coach, as their new chief in command. Mokwena’s tenure got off on a mild note, drawing with title contenders Bidvest Wits.
However, saying that Mokwena will be the team’s knight in shining armour would be jumping the gun, considering that he’s reported to have already had clashes with some of the senior players due to their poor behaviour.
But Malepe is happy with the changes Mokwena has brought about so far, saying there’s enough confidence in the team that they’ll get through these trying times.
“He’s been a very good professional and everyone is just happy to have him. He’s more focused on helping individuals reach their full potential. He makes sure that we have a formidable relationship as players on and off the field,” Malepe said.