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Dobsonville - Moroka Swallows coach Zeca Marques says there is no time to worry about a single player as there are plenty of dedicated and ambitious footballers in the country.
“The Lollipop” - as Marques is affectionately known - was speaking in retaliation to the disappearance of the club-less midfielder, Gert Schalkwyk, who was on trial at the Dube Birds during the off-season.
Schalkwyk, 31, has been without a club for the last two seasons.
The former Wits attacking midfielder last featured in a competitive match in the colours of Maritzburg United against Ajax Cape Town in May 2011 at the Cape Town Stadium, scoring an equalising goal that played a crucial role in handing his former team, Orlando Pirates, their first league title in eight years.
Marquez, 52, told the SowetanLIVE website that the player was indeed on trial at Swallows and then went AWOL.
"Eish! We don't know where Gert is. We don't know what's going on with him. He just stopped coming," said Marquez.
"He hasn't said anything and we haven't been able to reach him."
"You try to give players opportunities then they turn around and do this sort of thing. What can we do? Life just goes on. There are hundreds of other players who are looking for these kind of opportunities. We therefore can't sit around and worry about one player."
The Sowetan also reported that Schalkwyk is no stranger to controversy involving skipping training sessions.
In 2010, while still at Pirates, the midfielder shocked the club when he announced on Facebook that he was retiring from football and then disappeared from training.
“The Lollipop” - as Marques is affectionately known - was speaking in retaliation to the disappearance of the club-less midfielder, Gert Schalkwyk, who was on trial at the Dube Birds during the off-season.
Schalkwyk, 31, has been without a club for the last two seasons.
The former Wits attacking midfielder last featured in a competitive match in the colours of Maritzburg United against Ajax Cape Town in May 2011 at the Cape Town Stadium, scoring an equalising goal that played a crucial role in handing his former team, Orlando Pirates, their first league title in eight years.
Marquez, 52, told the SowetanLIVE website that the player was indeed on trial at Swallows and then went AWOL.
"Eish! We don't know where Gert is. We don't know what's going on with him. He just stopped coming," said Marquez.
"He hasn't said anything and we haven't been able to reach him."
"You try to give players opportunities then they turn around and do this sort of thing. What can we do? Life just goes on. There are hundreds of other players who are looking for these kind of opportunities. We therefore can't sit around and worry about one player."
The Sowetan also reported that Schalkwyk is no stranger to controversy involving skipping training sessions.
In 2010, while still at Pirates, the midfielder shocked the club when he announced on Facebook that he was retiring from football and then disappeared from training.
