The English soccer team’s manager, Fabio Capello, is still deciding whether or not his charges should make Rustenburg their training camp in preparation for the World Cup.
Although the altitude is ideal ÔÇô training at high altitude will be essential and there is only so much the players can achieve at the Altitude Centre in London ÔÇô it would seem that Capello has doubts about the quality of the newly laid pitches at the Royal Bafokeng Sports Campus.
Capello reportedly wants the training surfaces to match the pitches for England’s games during the World Cup.
Capello, who was in Rustenburg for a site inspection this week, has no problem with the hotel and facilities and is possibly also keen on the fact that the town provides few distractions, other than Sun City. But he has not yet made up his mind about the North West destination.
If the English team is ultimately based here, fans will struggle to get a glimpse of their favourite players as the sports campus is self-enclosed and private. Even players’ wives and girlfriends will be remotely based ÔÇô perhaps at Sun City ÔÇô to allow the team to sharpen its focus. Capello has said he will return in February for a further pitch inspection, unless he decides to jettison the idea of Rustenburg as a base ÔÇô which would undoubtedly be Rustenburg’s loss.
