Bafana medical team gives injury update before departure for Morocco

Bafana Bafana have no injury concerns as they build-up to the crucial Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) qualifier against Morocco at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium in Rabat next week.

Bafana begin their qualification campaign for the Afcon tournament in Ivory Coast next year against The Atlas Lions and also have Liberia in Group K after neighbours Zimbabwe were banned by Fifa.

Giving a fitness update since they converged in camp over the past few days, sports scientist Kopano Molesi said they were working hard to ensure the players were fully fit.

Players such as Ronwen Williams, Bongokuhle Hlongwane, Percy Tau, Grant Kekana and Lyle Lakay have not taken part in full training not because of injuries, but to manage their loading.

“Percy is a different story because he has just travelled, so we have to be cognisant of that and that he has just played in a final.

“We need to make sure we don’t overload them but we keep them fresh for the game against Morocco next week. Some of the guys were on the field, but they last played on the 21st, so instead of us overloading them we have to slowly bring them up to the pace of guys like Percy and Lyle who played over the past few days.

“We have a group of 12 players who last played on the 21st, 11 more and four  Pirates players who played four matches in nine days. We are focusing on recovery for them and maintaining what we have. We are pushing to get there and we will be ready to go.”

Molesi said they load players according to their playing and travelling activity of the past four days to avoid burn-out.

“Once the players come in we do assessments on what they have done, the number of games they have played, the number of minutes they have played, and the travelling they have done over the past three or four days.

“Depending on the periodisation we have on the team, we make adjustments with other players going to training and others having to do recovery, and we also try to maintain those who are coming from injury,” he said pointing out the importance of communication with clubs.

“Most of the time when we are not in sync we get to a point where the other guys will be doing something they are not supposed to. Lyle got a knock in the game and I know which part of the body I can work with and which part of the body I cannot work with.”

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