With most PSL teams set to resume their training following their festive break, a young coach has quietly been ensuring that a number of stars from various PSL clubs remain in mint condition.
Pule Maraisane, Haashim Domingo, Keyaan Arends, Bafana Mthethwa, Rowan Human and Belgium-based Lyle Foster will all be a bit sharper when they return to training in the coming days all thanks to coach Alzavian Van Rheede.
The Wits University ABC Motsepe League side coach has been dedicating his down time to helping out these stars regain fitness - in the case of Sundowns' Maraisane and Swallows' Mthethwa – and ensuring others do not fall off the pace in Domingo and Foster, who have been on top of their game for their respective clubs.
The 31-year-old's Sturrock Park training base has been a hive of activity throughout the festive period as more and more stars make use of his services and the Siya crew recently caught up with the man simply known as coach Zavi, to talk about his incredible work.
"It's all about the players and not about me, hence I've been quiet about the work we have been doing. I allow the players to be part of an environment where they can be themselves and work hard towards pre-season. I call it a pre pre-season," Van Rheede told the Siya crew.
"Lyle Foster's team sends me the program that he needs to maintain, and we do some extra work on top of that. As for Pule, I don't think SA has seen him yet. A player that is appropriated abroad. I'm trying to get him into the best shape possible, to compete in a very good Sundowns team.
"Haashim is such an amazing talent and I'm very privileged to help him improve in the final third of the pitch as well as making sure he is in the best shape possible, for the remainder of the season. Rowen I've coached from the age of 13 and he has been part of off-season training for quite some time.
"All in all, I'm just happy that I can help these players get sharper for the season ahead," he added.
Soon it will be back to business for Van Rheede who has been tasked with getting Wits University back into the country's top-flight. His side currently sit in second place on the ABC Motsepe stream A standings with eight matches played.
