Show some respectI personally think Owen da Gama is being unreasonable. How could he make such a request to Safa? My beloved Pirates should respect the national team and its management.Monametsi of Heuningvlei in the Kgalagadi Municipality
Safa are being unfairI think Sipho Nkumane is little bit too hard on Pirates. I think Teko should be released because if there was anything the Bafana coach wanted to see in him, hopefully by now he must have seen it.
The Derby is going to be showed worldwide and it's a fact that Teko will be needed, and also a fact that all the supporters would like to see a good showpiece.
So please don’t spoil what is expected to be a good game. Xolani Lubuzo
Shakes should know betterBra Shakes has been there as the national coach and he knows very well the stress of not having selected players at the camp.
We do not want to listen to excuses – if these guys had reported for national duty, the team doctors could have advised on injuries. I do not expect this from Irvin Khoza’s team as he is the top South African football executive, who is leading the country to 2010.
We are preaching having young stars in the national team, but when they are selected, this is what happens. Pirates is not bigger than the nation.A disappointed South African
Double standardsIt’s disturbing when Safa makes all this noise for a friendly game against Canada. Bucs gave them the players for the games that matter (like the Cosafa Cup) when Ajax and Chiefs were not prepared to release their players.
The Derby is as important in our SA football history and with the world watching you need your best players to be on top of their game, hence Bucs want to rest and protect Teko Modise from unnecessary injuries.
What annoys me is the fact that you never hear such noise when the likes of Benni McCarthy excludes himself from the team and goes on to embarrass the same SAFA. You don't hear anything when the overseas clubs refuse to release their players.
This is because these players (SA-based) are not used in the important games in favour of the Sibayas, Pienaars and the Mokoenas, even if they're benchwarmers wherever they come from.Doctor Makhanya
Pirates must stop their mind-gamesTo me this is just mind-games being played by Pirates at this time. Why is it that their players' fatigue is acknowledged when the Soweto Derby is on our doorstep?
But all-in-all I think most teams have no respect for the national team. Safa and Fifa must make an example of Pirates and their players. Maybe the future would look different in as far as respect of the national teams is concerned.Doc Dlamini
Follow the rulesThis a tough situation for both the club and country. Firstly the guys will benefit from being exposed to the training with the national team, but it also creates problems for their clubs by being tired for important games featuring the clubs that pay them.
But I think if this is a scheduled Fifa date, the boys should play.Thulani Mosia
Angry at SafaIt is very disturbing to hear that this case can go even further. I’m an Orlando Pirates fan who’s very angry with SAFA; I mean, Teko Modise has been playing week in and week out – the boy need to rest!
He’s been there during the Cosafa Cup, surely it’s time for him get a break so that he can be ready come the African Cup of Nations. Safa is very quickly to forget that it’s not the first time clubs have withdrawn players from the national team; why now that it’s Pirates do people start making it a big issue?
Beside the upcoming game against Chiefs, I think there is no point in forcing them to be there.
We all know that come African Cup of Nations, who will be the coach’s starting XI, Parreira will just call on his so-called ‘full strength’ squad, the predictable and ever loosing one.
Guys like Chenene are just being used when his so-called ‘full strength’ squad are not available, but when we play teams such as Argentina, Sibaya and company get to play even when everyone can see that they not adding any value to the squad.Thobile Mkwanazi
Where are our priorities? I’m a Pirates fan and actually do feel that the schedule has been busy for these two players, but that is true for other players as well.
If OPFC needed to rest the players, they should have done it with more respect ... not to pull out a day before the game or for Chenene to disrespect Bafana and play in the charity tournament.
I feel bad for the players because they are caught in the middle of this, but I’m very disappointed too with the Pirates management. Are they saying the Soweto Derby between Chiefs and Pirates is more important than building a team for 2010?
Shakes should know better as a former Bafana coach himself.Andile Dlamini
Safa must grow upIt’s all good and well for Safa to lean on Fifa regulations, but the question is, is it really an unreasonable request by Pirates, taking into account the magnitude of their match on Saturday, compared to the relative triviality of the Canada friendly match?
The effect of this hard-nosed approach is not helpful to all the parties involved, and I think the Canada game can be used to blood in other players that have been on the verge of selection.
Surely Teko must be one of our shining and leading lights, and are we willing to over-expose him, irrespective of the magnitude of the games that Bafana may be involved in?
This is not the time or place for Safa to be bullying and flexing their muscles. Should teams then refuse to release their players on non-Fifa calendar dates, because Safa apparently play by Fifa regulations, or even worse should teams ask their players to prematurely retire from international football?
My advice to SAFA is grow-up, lest 2010 comes around and we are caught napping.Miyelani Mushwana
