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Johannesburg - Bafana Bafana skipper Steven Pienaar has revealed he was close to being ruled out of the trip to Egypt due to a niggling groin injury.
However, the Tottenham Hotspur midfielder has decided instead to put a proposed surgical procedure to fix the problem on hold in order to participate on Sunday.
Pienaar has been battling to recover from the long-standing groin problem, which has seen him miss a number of matches for Spurs this season, and now he also has a right thigh muscle tear to contend with.
However, Pienaar says it is the groin strain that is making life difficult for him, but is adamant he will pull through to fight it out with the Pharaohs.
"My injury (groin) has been giving me a lot of problems over the last few months and I have been working hard on it," Pienaar said.
"I had a long conversation with the coach (Pitso Mosimane) about it, because I had decided to go for an operation, but I decided in the end to postpone it until after the Egypt match.
"I feel good and I'm almost 100% fit. I'm looking forward to the game."
Bafana Bafana's team doctor Ephraim Nematswerani has, however, suggested Pienaar won't rush into the surgery room.
"I have been in communication with the medical staff at Tottenham Hotspur and we will try conservative management," Nematswerani said.
"If that fails, then the next option could be going for a surgical procedure.
"The main aim is to try conservative management and it is to go for exercises at a Bryanston clinic (in Johannesburg) after the Egypt match."
Meanwhile, Pienaar has called on his Bafana team-mates to maintain some discipline when they take on the Pharaohs at the Cairo Military Academy Stadium.
"From a players' point of view, we know it will be a tough week for us. We are going there and we will have a lot of people in our face," Pienaar added.
"I think the players have to be physically and mentally prepared for that. The physical trainer (Francisco Gonzalez) has done his part on the physical side, but the mental part is up to the players.
"As a team we just wanna go out and enjoy ourselves and be disciplined, because it will be a very tactical game.
"If we can come away with at least a point, or points, it will be a very good result for us."
However, the Tottenham Hotspur midfielder has decided instead to put a proposed surgical procedure to fix the problem on hold in order to participate on Sunday.
Pienaar has been battling to recover from the long-standing groin problem, which has seen him miss a number of matches for Spurs this season, and now he also has a right thigh muscle tear to contend with.
However, Pienaar says it is the groin strain that is making life difficult for him, but is adamant he will pull through to fight it out with the Pharaohs.
"My injury (groin) has been giving me a lot of problems over the last few months and I have been working hard on it," Pienaar said.
"I had a long conversation with the coach (Pitso Mosimane) about it, because I had decided to go for an operation, but I decided in the end to postpone it until after the Egypt match.
"I feel good and I'm almost 100% fit. I'm looking forward to the game."
Bafana Bafana's team doctor Ephraim Nematswerani has, however, suggested Pienaar won't rush into the surgery room.
"I have been in communication with the medical staff at Tottenham Hotspur and we will try conservative management," Nematswerani said.
"If that fails, then the next option could be going for a surgical procedure.
"The main aim is to try conservative management and it is to go for exercises at a Bryanston clinic (in Johannesburg) after the Egypt match."
Meanwhile, Pienaar has called on his Bafana team-mates to maintain some discipline when they take on the Pharaohs at the Cairo Military Academy Stadium.
"From a players' point of view, we know it will be a tough week for us. We are going there and we will have a lot of people in our face," Pienaar added.
"I think the players have to be physically and mentally prepared for that. The physical trainer (Francisco Gonzalez) has done his part on the physical side, but the mental part is up to the players.
"As a team we just wanna go out and enjoy ourselves and be disciplined, because it will be a very tactical game.
"If we can come away with at least a point, or points, it will be a very good result for us."
