Football-National teams restructured for better results |05 May 2006

Friday’s first session will be from 4.30 p.m. to 6.30 p.m. Training will continue on Saturday and Sunday with two sessions on both days – from 7.30 a.m. to 10 a.m. and from 3.30 p.m. to 5.30 p.m.

Rwandan coach Raoul Shungu and his assistant, Seychellois Marc Mathiot, will run the training sessions at Stad Linite.

It must be noted that the country’s senior team are to play in next month’s three-nation tournament being organised by the Seychelles Football Federation (SFF) as part of activities to celebrate Seychelles’ 30th anniversary of independence.

They will then make a second appearance in the Cosafa Castle Cup scheduled for the weekend of July 22 and 23 in Namibia and compete in the qualifiers for the African Nations Cup 2008. Seychelles have been drawn in group Four with Tunisia, Sudan and Mauritius. Seychelles’ first match is during the weekend of September 1-3 away against Sudan.

Meanwhile, the SFF has reviewed the national teams’ management structure and personnel. New team managers Dolor Ernesta (senior) and Georges Bibi (youth) are members of SFF’s executive committee, making it easier for the federation to have control of the different teams.

The decision was taken following incidents involving members of the country’s under-20 selection who participated in the Cosafa Cup in Durban, South Africa in December last year.

According to reports, players used illegal substances, drank and spent the night with women in South Africa. Eleven of the 20 players were handed bans ranging from four months to one year.

The suspended players have been put under caution until December 31, 2007 and during that period the federation will monitor their behaviour and assist them in every way possible during their rehabilitation to help them improve their behaviour.

SFF chairman Suketu Patel said that the appointment of Bibi and Ernesta as team mangers “will help to better supervise the way national teams are run and to have the same heads of delegation accompany the different national sides abroad.”

He noted that changing heads of delegation all the time was a problem as different individuals acted differently during each trip.

Both Ernesta and Bibi have welcomed their new roles with great enthusiasm. They will appoint individuals, except coaches, they deem significant in the pursuit of success for their respective teams.

Mr Ernesta believes that “the freedom to work with whoever we wish will allow the team to prosper in the coming years.” He added that “there’s no better time for national team players to make the most of the opportunities coming their way.”

On accepting his new role, Georges Bibi had a strong message for young players, reminding them of their “patriotic duty to represent the country when called upon.”

Those who refuse to do so, he added, “will be prevented from playing in all youth competitions organised by the federation.”

SFF chairman Patel also noted that “the federation’s extensive commitment towards youth football development over the past years should be given recognition and allowed to reap its rewards.”

Mr Patel stated that it is time for players to differentiate between elite and mass football. “Players who do not wish to play high level football should not join our youth development programme,” he advised.

Meanwhile, the SFF is calling on young players called to the under-18 selection who are to start preparing for the forthcoming Jeux de la Commission de la Jeunesse et des Sports de l’Océan indien (CJSOI) in Mauritius from July 30 to August 5, to be prompt for training.

The players called to the pre-selection are: Julio Toulon, Justin Leon, Yves Zialor, Emile Leon (St Michel), Alvin Michel, Kevin Quatre, Vince Laporte, Jules Constance, Trevor Bill (Sunshine), Teddy Cupidon, Ronny Marengo, Francis Moumou (Northern Dynamo), Randy Albert, Gervais Saminadin, Damien Maria, Norris Jouaneau, Yanick Duval, Neddy Molle (St Louis), Evans Esther, Damien Edmond, Jones Larue (St Francis), Mendel Adonis (South Olympic), Erol Celeste, Julien Monthy, Ian Mellie, Roy Rene (Foresters), Colin Esther (Light Stars), Jemmy Edmond (Red Star), Ryan Freminot (St John Bosco), Marcus Botsoie, Darrel Laboudallon (Mont Buxton) and Yanick Julie (SMB).

G. J.