Mamelodi Sundowns assistant coach Manqoba Mngqithi is seeking answers to the circumstances that led to key midfielder Sibusiso Vilakazi suffering an Achilles injury while at the Bafana Bafana camp last week.
Mngqithi did not suggest that the members of the Bafana technical staff under coach Stuart Baxter were responsible for the injury but said they were trying to ascertain whether Vilakazi was overloaded when he arrived at the national team camp.
The injury has ruled Vilakazi‚ who is a key attacking player for the Brazilians‚ out for the rest of the season and he has already underwent a successful operation.
“At this stage we can assume that the load of the match that we played on Sunday prior to him going to Bafana Bafana took its toll but we don’t know what the problem at the national team was‚” he said on Thursday.
“Maybe it will help to get such information from you guys (journalists) as to how many times they were training because that will help us to get answers as to what exactly happened.
"At this stage the information we are getting is not helping much.
"From where I am sitting‚ an Achilles injury can indicate a sign of overload and stress on the tendon muscle itself but it is too wide for me to know exactly what happened.
"I am giving you journalists an assignment to find out what really happened at Bafana Bafana and maybe that will help going forward.”
Mngqithi added that after Sundowns' last match against Bidvest Wits before the player linked up with Bafana two weeks ago‚ Vilakazi did not show any signs of discomfort.
“It was always going to be very difficult to see any signs of Achilles rapture because that is usually an outcome of a lot of things‚" he said.
"Our medical team does speak to their Safa counterparts‚ I was only referring to what might have caused the injury.
"The information that he ruptured an Achilles at training is good for doctors but better information for a layman like me would be what was happening from the time he finished the match that Sundowns played against Wits and when he joined the Bafana camp.
“How many training sessions he took part in and was he ever given a break?
"Those are the questions that can be asked but unfortunately I am not at that level and maybe that’s why I don’t know.
"Maybe when coach Pitso Mosimane is around‚ he will speak on that level with Stuart Baxter.
"I believe that the fitness coaches also have their discussions.
"This is the information I would like to read about in the papers because we read about other things.”
Sundowns host Bloemfontein Celtic in the opening round of the Telkom TKO at Lucas Moripe Stadium on Saturday.
Sundowns seeking answers to circumstances that led to Vilakazi injury while with Bafana
Mamelodi Sundowns assistant coach Manqoba Mngqithi is seeking answers to the circumstances that led to key midfielder Sibusiso Vilakazi suffering an Achilles injury while at the Bafana Bafana camp last week.
Mngqithi did not suggest that the members of the Bafana technical staff under coach Stuart Baxter were responsible for the injury but said they were trying to ascertain whether Vilakazi was overloaded when he arrived at the national team camp.
The injury has ruled Vilakazi‚ who is a key attacking player for the Brazilians‚ out for the rest of the season and he has already underwent a successful operation.
“At this stage we can assume that the load of the match that we played on Sunday prior to him going to Bafana Bafana took its toll but we don’t know what the problem at the national team was‚” he said on Thursday.
“Maybe it will help to get such information from you guys (journalists) as to how many times they were training because that will help us to get answers as to what exactly happened.
"At this stage the information we are getting is not helping much.
"From where I am sitting‚ an Achilles injury can indicate a sign of overload and stress on the tendon muscle itself but it is too wide for me to know exactly what happened.
"I am giving you journalists an assignment to find out what really happened at Bafana Bafana and maybe that will help going forward.”
Mngqithi added that after Sundowns' last match against Bidvest Wits before the player linked up with Bafana two weeks ago‚ Vilakazi did not show any signs of discomfort.
“It was always going to be very difficult to see any signs of Achilles rapture because that is usually an outcome of a lot of things‚" he said.
"Our medical team does speak to their Safa counterparts‚ I was only referring to what might have caused the injury.
"The information that he ruptured an Achilles at training is good for doctors but better information for a layman like me would be what was happening from the time he finished the match that Sundowns played against Wits and when he joined the Bafana camp.
“How many training sessions he took part in and was he ever given a break?
"Those are the questions that can be asked but unfortunately I am not at that level and maybe that’s why I don’t know.
"Maybe when coach Pitso Mosimane is around‚ he will speak on that level with Stuart Baxter.
"I believe that the fitness coaches also have their discussions.
"This is the information I would like to read about in the papers because we read about other things.”
Sundowns host Bloemfontein Celtic in the opening round of the Telkom TKO at Lucas Moripe Stadium on Saturday.
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