National football teams strength and conditioning coach Mikael Igendia says there is no cause for alarm even as he continues to self isolate in his Nairobi residence.
Igendia took the less-travelled path and placed himself under a 14-day self-quarantine in line with the government’s directive to all Kenyans and foreigners jetting in from abroad.
The soft-spoken tactician had returned from South Africa where, he attended the annual coaching course, organised by the Confederation of African Football (Caf) on the use of Global Positioning System (GPS) devices, fitness and tracking equipment.
The course, which took place between March 12-13 in Johannesburg, was organised to equip S&C coaches with the latest skills ahead of the 2021 Afcon qualifier doubleheader that was supposed to be held this week. Caf suspended the matches as a precaution measure to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Igendia, who joined the national team in 2016, revealed that he had not exhibited any signs of the killer virus and was looking forward to hitting the road once the 14 days are over.
“I have been observing self-quarantine in the house for ten days now in line with the guidelines given by the government. By the time we left South Africa, they had seven confirmed cases and none of them had been reported in Johannesburg. However, I came into contact with a handful of people and it’s hard to tell who had the virus. It’s better to be safe than sorry and thus I had to isolate myself,” he said
He added: “ I haven’t had any signs of the virus for the time I have been under self-quarantine. I am in constant communication with my supervisors and hopefully, they will clear me to mingle once the two weeks are over.”
The Finnish-trained Bachelors of Sports Science holder opened up of the challenges of self seclusion which he said had temporarily denied him the freedom of movement and association.
“ Everyone wants to roam around freely but my case is different. I am confined in my room throughout but I am adapting on well. I can’t interact with my friends or even train in the gym but it’s just a matter of time before I am cleared,” he disclosed.
Meanwhile, Igendia hailed his wife and friends for their support during this period. Even though he said there was no contact with his wife, he praised her for offering him a shoulder to lean on by ensuring that everything was rolling on as usual. Igendia handles both the men’s and women’s senior teams and national U23/20. Tusker’s physical trainer Enos Karani assists him in handling Harambee Stars
“I am not in contact with anyone including my wife but we have friends who deliver everything we want in the house. They understand the situation I am currently in and whenever we need anything in the house, they deliver it on time. My wife has been ensuring high standards of hygiene and attends to everything in the house,” he added.
