KEES Kwakman has had his time in the sun after the work permit saga that angered Premier Soccer League teams meant the Dutch defender had to sit on the sidelines and watch Bidvest Wits succumb to Orlando Pirates last week.
He saw the funny side of the new rule on foreign players, but now it's time to get to work as the two sides face off again tomorrow night in the second leg of their MTN8 semifinal clash in Soweto, with the Buccaneers carrying a 2-0 cushion from the match Kwakman watched.
"I missed one week of pre-season and then got stuck in," said Kwakman, who made his debut in the 1-0 league win over Maritzburg United on Wednesday. "So when you are physically ready but find yourself sitting in the tribune to watch all those MTN8 games, it's harsh because you can't help the team. Every week I thought my work permit would come, but it took longer and longer. I made fun of it on social media and I hope I didn't offend anyone."
The former Dutch and German Premier Division player posted a picture of himself behind bars on Twitter and captioned it Coming Soon: 40 days and 40 nights without a work permit.
He got quite a reaction, and maybe kicking his heels in the stands during the first leg against Pirates has helped him analyse the return match better since he will lead the defence.
"It really wasn't a good game, to be honest," he said.
Daine Klate is one of the Pirates attackers ready to hurt Kwakman and company at the back should Wits open up as they chase a result.
Wits' Kwakman has to play catch-up
KEES Kwakman has had his time in the sun after the work permit saga that angered Premier Soccer League teams meant the Dutch defender had to sit on the sidelines and watch Bidvest Wits succumb to Orlando Pirates last week.
He saw the funny side of the new rule on foreign players, but now it's time to get to work as the two sides face off again tomorrow night in the second leg of their MTN8 semifinal clash in Soweto, with the Buccaneers carrying a 2-0 cushion from the match Kwakman watched.
"I missed one week of pre-season and then got stuck in," said Kwakman, who made his debut in the 1-0 league win over Maritzburg United on Wednesday. "So when you are physically ready but find yourself sitting in the tribune to watch all those MTN8 games, it's harsh because you can't help the team. Every week I thought my work permit would come, but it took longer and longer. I made fun of it on social media and I hope I didn't offend anyone."
The former Dutch and German Premier Division player posted a picture of himself behind bars on Twitter and captioned it Coming Soon: 40 days and 40 nights without a work permit.
He got quite a reaction, and maybe kicking his heels in the stands during the first leg against Pirates has helped him analyse the return match better since he will lead the defence.
"It really wasn't a good game, to be honest," he said.
Daine Klate is one of the Pirates attackers ready to hurt Kwakman and company at the back should Wits open up as they chase a result.