GORDON Igesund kept a tight lid on his plans for Spain ahead of tonight’s friendly international at FNB stadium, insisting on a closed training session yesterday, with the media barred from watching the coach take his team through their paces.
Igesund argued he did not want his plans leaked to the opposition, such is the seriousness with which he is taking the encounter against the world and European champions.
“I like closed sessions before a match. Maybe there are a foreign journalists and they could write up about what we are planning.
“For me, this is a friendly but it is very important, and I expect nothing less from Spain than to see them give it their all,” said the coach when he finally sat down to speak to the media.
“We want to see how far we have come as a team because we have done some great work over the past 15 months or so.
“And I want to see how far behind we are from top sides like Spain and Germany.”
Despite Xavi Hernandez being left out of La Roja’s travelling team as well as Cesc Fabregas and Diego Costa missing out through injury, coach Vicente del Bosque has still managed to pick the core of the team that clinched the World Cup title at FNB stadium a little over three years ago.
“They want to prove they are the best and are still favourites to win next year’s World Cup . That is why they are a top side. For them every match is a cup final. And it will be a cup final for us, too,” said Igesund.
While he would only reveal that he would use three strikers in his attempt to take the game to Spain, Igesund also said he was hoping his young squad could learn from the best.
“The reason they have not changed their team is because they have won things – the World Cup and the European championship.
“If we had won the Nations Cup last year, I would not have changed the team because you need consistency.
“I am hoping my young players, some who only have three caps, will learn a lot.
“We can learn to be patient like Spain when they were rebuilding their team.
“Nothing is going to happen overnight and expectations need to be lowered so we can get back to being a good side.
“The plan is to see what a player with three caps can do when he has 30 caps,” said Igesund.
Asked if he thought the slow ticket sales for the match had anything to do with Bafana’s failure to qualify for the 2014 World Cup, Igesund brushed it off.
“I don’t want to worry about tickets sales; that is not my department. Spain are here, and as a national team we have to continue playing games even if we are not going to the World Cup. People have known for a while now we are not going to be there .”
By late yesterday more than 30000 tickets had been sold, with at least 60000 more still available.
Guns set for Spanish Armada
Igesund argued he did not want his plans leaked to the opposition, such is the seriousness with which he is taking the encounter against the world and European champions.
“I like closed sessions before a match. Maybe there are a foreign journalists and they could write up about what we are planning.
“For me, this is a friendly but it is very important, and I expect nothing less from Spain than to see them give it their all,” said the coach when he finally sat down to speak to the media.
“We want to see how far we have come as a team because we have done some great work over the past 15 months or so.
“And I want to see how far behind we are from top sides like Spain and Germany.”
Despite Xavi Hernandez being left out of La Roja’s travelling team as well as Cesc Fabregas and Diego Costa missing out through injury, coach Vicente del Bosque has still managed to pick the core of the team that clinched the World Cup title at FNB stadium a little over three years ago.
“They want to prove they are the best and are still favourites to win next year’s World Cup . That is why they are a top side. For them every match is a cup final. And it will be a cup final for us, too,” said Igesund.
While he would only reveal that he would use three strikers in his attempt to take the game to Spain, Igesund also said he was hoping his young squad could learn from the best.
“The reason they have not changed their team is because they have won things – the World Cup and the European championship.
“If we had won the Nations Cup last year, I would not have changed the team because you need consistency.
“I am hoping my young players, some who only have three caps, will learn a lot.
“We can learn to be patient like Spain when they were rebuilding their team.
“Nothing is going to happen overnight and expectations need to be lowered so we can get back to being a good side.
“The plan is to see what a player with three caps can do when he has 30 caps,” said Igesund.
Asked if he thought the slow ticket sales for the match had anything to do with Bafana’s failure to qualify for the 2014 World Cup, Igesund brushed it off.
“I don’t want to worry about tickets sales; that is not my department. Spain are here, and as a national team we have to continue playing games even if we are not going to the World Cup. People have known for a while now we are not going to be there .”
By late yesterday more than 30000 tickets had been sold, with at least 60000 more still available.
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