Orlando Pirates player hit hard by lockdown

The spread of the Covid-19 pandemic, which led to the country’s lockdown, has had a dire effect on Albertsdal’s soccer star Tebogo Tlolane and many other professional footballers.

Orlando Pirates midfielder Tlolane, currently loaned to Maritzburg United, told the GCN’s sister newspaper the Alberton Record that the coronavirus came as a shock to them as soccer players.

The 25-year-old footballer said that not only has Covid-19 and the country’s lockdown led to major cancellations of games, but it has also affected him personally.

Tlolane said he has been hit hard since his day-to-day life is being on the pitch and he now feels like a part of his life has been taken away from him.

“These are unforeseen circumstances of the Covid-19 pandemic and they are uncontrollable.

“Necessary precautions had to be taken, such as the lockdown.

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“The lockdown has taken a lot from our side because on a weekend, we expect a match day fixture and on Mondays it is training,” he said.

During his interview, he highlighted that he had been feeling lonely during the lockdown period.

“This is not just a hobby, and you realise during this time that we don’t just do what we do for fun, it’s our lives.

“There’s nothing much we can do except to hope that this virus and the spread of the virus will be under control sometime soon,” he said.

“This is something we weren’t prepared for, but we have to move forward from this.”

The lockdown has pushed him to make changes regarding how he maintains his fitness levels.

“With the gym being closed and us not being allowed to go out, I’ve had to train in my yard because we have to keep fit.

“Before the lockdown, I managed to get equipment to try and keep me going,” he said.

Tlolane added that after finding out about the virus, there were safety measures they had to put in place to try curb the spread of the pandemic.

“Before and after each match we were told not to shake hands, and in training we would refrain from using the same water bottles and towels.

“At first, training got cancelled and movement was restricted and we were eventually told about the lockdown,” he said.

He urged the community to stay indoors and follow precautionary safety measures to avoid contracting the virus.

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