Andile Jali and Lebogang Phiri will miss the 2016 Rio Olympic Games after the two players were denied permission to travel to the global showpiece by their European clubs.
The South African Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee (Sascoc) announced Rio-bound Team SA in Johannesburg yesterday and the two players were notable absentees from the Junior Bafana list.
Jali was to be one of the over-age players in SA U23 coach Owen da Gama’s squad‚ but the midfielder’s Belgian club KV Oostende turned down his call-up. Denmark-based Lebogang Phiri suffered a similar fate when his club Brondby also turned down the request.
The Olympic Games are not played on dates designated by Fifa for international matches and this enabled KV Oostende and Brondby to turn down the call-ups without risking sanction from the world football governing body.
SA Football Association (Safa) chief executive Dennis Mumble said that while they would have loved to have all the European-based players on board‚ their clubs were well within their rights to turn down the requests.
‘‘There are a number of players that we considered but whether they were able to be released by their clubs is another matter.
‘‘There are some players from overseas that the coach selected and because this is not really a Fifa date‚ even though it is a Fifa competition‚ it is not on the Fifa calendar and the teams were left to decide on their own as to whether they would release players.
‘‘We did our best to get some players from abroad‚ especially from the European leagues‚ and that was not successful.”
Kaizer Chiefs raised Da Gama’s spirits when the glamour club agreed to the release of goalkeeper Itumeleng Khune and defender Eric Mathoho.
Mumble said they were grateful to the PSL for its decision to delay the start of the season to accommodate the Olympics. ‘‘We must thank our PSL for really bending over backwards in facilitating the release of the players by suspending the kickoff of the new season. ‘‘So we really have to say this league is serious about us doing well in these Olympic Games.” — Tiso Black Star Group Digital
Bafana duo out in the cold
The South African Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee (Sascoc) announced Rio-bound Team SA in Johannesburg yesterday and the two players were notable absentees from the Junior Bafana list.
Jali was to be one of the over-age players in SA U23 coach Owen da Gama’s squad‚ but the midfielder’s Belgian club KV Oostende turned down his call-up. Denmark-based Lebogang Phiri suffered a similar fate when his club Brondby also turned down the request.
The Olympic Games are not played on dates designated by Fifa for international matches and this enabled KV Oostende and Brondby to turn down the call-ups without risking sanction from the world football governing body.
SA Football Association (Safa) chief executive Dennis Mumble said that while they would have loved to have all the European-based players on board‚ their clubs were well within their rights to turn down the requests.
‘‘There are a number of players that we considered but whether they were able to be released by their clubs is another matter.
‘‘There are some players from overseas that the coach selected and because this is not really a Fifa date‚ even though it is a Fifa competition‚ it is not on the Fifa calendar and the teams were left to decide on their own as to whether they would release players.
‘‘We did our best to get some players from abroad‚ especially from the European leagues‚ and that was not successful.”
Kaizer Chiefs raised Da Gama’s spirits when the glamour club agreed to the release of goalkeeper Itumeleng Khune and defender Eric Mathoho.
Mumble said they were grateful to the PSL for its decision to delay the start of the season to accommodate the Olympics. ‘‘We must thank our PSL for really bending over backwards in facilitating the release of the players by suspending the kickoff of the new season. ‘‘So we really have to say this league is serious about us doing well in these Olympic Games.” — Tiso Black Star Group Digital
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