Head coach of the Namibian national team Collin Benjamin has applauded the professionalism shown by senior players Deon Hotto and Peter Shalulile, whom he rested on Tuesday ahead of the Carling Knockout Cup final.
Hotto was not part of the match-day squad against Kenya at the Peter Mokaba Stadium, while Shalulile only came on in the last eight minutes of the match.
The Brave Warriors came into the match knowing they had failed to qualify for the AFCON tournament set to take place in Morocco next year.
Immediately after the match, there was a driver waiting for Shalulile to take him to the Mamelodi Sundowns camp ahead of the clash against Magesi FC in Mangaung on Saturday.
Benjamin was asked if he was saving Shalulile for his club’s crucial match on Saturday and this is what he had to say. “Yeah [he confirmed]. It also speaks to the professionalism of Peter Shalulile.”
COLLIN BENJAMIN APPLAUD PROFESSIONALISM SHOWN BY MAMELODI SUNDOWNS STAR PETER SHALULILE
“He came in, and he is there for the team. He is an idol, and he has a role to play in the dressing room for those players. So I applauded him for that. He just got picked up by his team because that’s an important game. But he says he is here because his country needs him.”
“On the other hand, it’s also for us to say Peter Shalulile and Deon Hotto and all those guys are not going to play forever, and we need to start this transition period. I think we are on a good track. It’s going to take more games for these young boys to come up also, and as long as the likes of Peter and Deon are around to guide them because they need their assistance.”
“I think we are in a good space, I really applaud these guys because they are real ambassadors for this country. I wish them all the best over the weekend, and we are behind him.”
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