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Cape Town - With only three days left before the start of the third edition of the African Nations Championship (Chan) tournaments, journalists from various publications and broadcast stations received a hostile reception from Western Cape police prior to Bafana’s training session at the Clyde Pinelands grounds on Wednesday.
VIDEO: Bafana Bafana prepare for CHAN 2014
GALLERY: Bafana Bafana train in Pinelands
Police claimed that the tournament hosts intended to train behind closed doors without media presence and ordered reporters to pick up their videos, tripods and cameras and depart the training field.
Following a heated argument between police and reporters, Bafana spokesperson Matlhomola Morake intervened.
Morake ordered the policemen to permit the media to cover the training session.
“We are the ones who have the authority to allow the media into the field or not, not the policemen,” Morake told police.
“We never said the media mustn't be allowed entrance to the field.
“Some of them made appointments with the coach and players for interviews and we agreed, so why must they be chased away when they are doing their jobs?
“If the provincial police department sent you to do this, then I want you to put whoever did so on the line, I want to talk to him about this.
“We have the final say to this and we want media coverage,” he added.
Just after the media were granted permission, a short press conference was held before training started.
Bafana coach Gordon Igesund informed the public about the latest changes within his squad, however, he was unwilling to take questions from journalists due to his bad mood.
“Thank you all for coming, I know they were making it difficult to come in but you are now here,” said Igesund.
”I will be very brief as we need to get going.
“Unfortunately one of our players Jabulani Shongwe is out with an injury but he will be replaced by Matthew Pattison who is expected to be here at 14:00.
“There is no much going on at the moment besides that we are ready to face Mozambique on Saturday.
“I will take no questions from you for now as I am not in a good mood, trust me.”
Bafana will have their final training session at the Cape Town Stadium on Friday before opening their campaign with their Group A clash against Mozambique on Saturday evening.
Kick-off is scheduled for 18:00.
VIDEO: Bafana Bafana prepare for CHAN 2014
GALLERY: Bafana Bafana train in Pinelands
Police claimed that the tournament hosts intended to train behind closed doors without media presence and ordered reporters to pick up their videos, tripods and cameras and depart the training field.
Following a heated argument between police and reporters, Bafana spokesperson Matlhomola Morake intervened.
Morake ordered the policemen to permit the media to cover the training session.
“We are the ones who have the authority to allow the media into the field or not, not the policemen,” Morake told police.
“We never said the media mustn't be allowed entrance to the field.
“Some of them made appointments with the coach and players for interviews and we agreed, so why must they be chased away when they are doing their jobs?
“If the provincial police department sent you to do this, then I want you to put whoever did so on the line, I want to talk to him about this.
“We have the final say to this and we want media coverage,” he added.
Just after the media were granted permission, a short press conference was held before training started.
Bafana coach Gordon Igesund informed the public about the latest changes within his squad, however, he was unwilling to take questions from journalists due to his bad mood.
“Thank you all for coming, I know they were making it difficult to come in but you are now here,” said Igesund.
”I will be very brief as we need to get going.
“Unfortunately one of our players Jabulani Shongwe is out with an injury but he will be replaced by Matthew Pattison who is expected to be here at 14:00.
“There is no much going on at the moment besides that we are ready to face Mozambique on Saturday.
“I will take no questions from you for now as I am not in a good mood, trust me.”
Bafana will have their final training session at the Cape Town Stadium on Friday before opening their campaign with their Group A clash against Mozambique on Saturday evening.
Kick-off is scheduled for 18:00.
