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Sports medical centre opened

The centre, which is attached to the Morningside Medi-Clinic, aims to deliver the highest care to athletes of all calibres.

Services available include injury rehabilitation and helping to develop sports specific training programmes.

Morningside Sports Medicine works in South Africa already with soccer clubs like Kaizer Chiefs and BidVest Wits, as well as Lions Rugby.

Parreira disclosed in his opening address how he started out in soccer as a physical trainer, before later becoming head coach.

"There is so much more to the performance of a team than the eleven players on the field," reflected Parreira.

"Because that performance is the sum of what happened before, which includes the role of the coach, assistant-coach, goalkeeper coach, dietician, physical coach, and doctor.

"Soccer has changed a lot in the last 10 to 20 years, as so much science has come into the sport. That's why I welcome the establishment of such a world-class Sports Medicine centre in Johannesburg."

Noakes, who's a co-founder of Cape Town's Sports Science Institute of South Africa, added that Parreira must be given the time by Safa and the soccer fraternity to implement his philosophy at Bafana.

"The Boks had a four-year plan to win the 2007 World Cup," Noakes stresses.

"For example, in 2006 the Springboks had an atrocious season. But it didn't matter as the whole preparation plan, which included science and a physical programme, was focussed on peaking at the right moment: the 2007 World Cup.

"And did we succeed! Thanks to the programme implemented, Jake White had 22 fit players. I also want to stress the important of rest for athletes - South African soccer must understand what rugby eventually did; one can't play rugby, soccer or any other sports 11 months a year. Players need rest. This is crucial; otherwise injuries will be the result!"

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