For Beninese Jodel Dossou, it is "a pleasure to resume training" in Austria

Text by: Tom Rossi Follow

Jodel Dossou, Beninese international, CAN 2019 quarter finalist, has just returned to training with TSV Hartberg, his club in the Austrian first division. With the Covid-19 pandemic, the exercises are different but offer the midfielder the opportunity to "touch the ball again".

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RFI: When did you resume training and under what conditions?

Jodel Dossou: We are in the second week of training. Before resuming, everyone was tested and no one contracted the Covid-19. This allows us to train in good conditions, while respecting certain measures. Concretely, we train in small groups of six and arrive at different times. Group A starts at 9:40 a.m. and the next one comes 20 minutes later to prevent us from crossing paths. There are therefore six groups of four players spread over different workshops. We take these exercises in turn and end with a little game in a small space.

So, no opposition to 11 against 11. Is it difficult to prepare the matches well under these conditions?

It changes everything! There is no opposition, there is no real tactic in place. We work on our technique, the precision of our passes, the changes of direction. We put more intensity in small spaces. But it is obviously not the same as in a match. And then, what also changes, is that there is no longer a cloakroom. I dress at home and go straight to the stadium.

Are you relieved to play soccer again after more than a month?

It is a pleasure to resume training, to touch the ball again.
Staying locked up for more than a month was not easy. But, at least, I was able to take advantage of my family.  

Do you know when the competition will resume in Austria?

No, but I hope as soon as possible because there are players whose contracts expire in June. I don't have one year left, but we are all waiting.

How is your championship organized?

There are 12 teams. We have finished the regular season. It remains to play the play-off to designate the champion and the teams which will be qualified for the European cups. This concerns the first six. With my club, we finished sixth, so we are racing.  

It's your first season at TSV Hartberg. Is everything going well in Austria?

I know this country very well. I arrived in 2014 and I never left it even when I was playing with the Swiss club FC Vaduz since it was close to the border. I was not disoriented. And when I got here, I just changed regions and quickly adapted. Especially since there is more sun (laughs) .

A word about your national selection, Benin. You are second in your group to qualify for the 2021 African Cup of Nations. The qualifiers are behind schedule, and some, like Samuel Eto'o, plead for a postponement of the CAN supposed to begin on January 9, in Cameroon.
What do you think ?

We do not yet control the virus but if we succeed, I hope that we will quickly resume African competitions. For the moment, we are in uncertainty. So if the epidemic continues, it is health above all. In this case, I prefer that the ADC is offset. Especially since I don't see how we could catch up in the playoffs. We must also take into account the qualifications for the 2022 World Cup which are to start in October. The ideal would be to postpone the CAN to allow us to better prepare, because it is difficult to train in these conditions. It will still take time for everyone to return to their best physical level.

Do you have a message for your fellow Beninese?

Yes, I ask them to take this virus very seriously. All these dead, it's cold in the back. I would like everyone to respect the barrier measures so that all of us can end this epidemic that is hitting us head on.

What can we wish you?

To always be efficient, to be more decisive, that we can find, all together, the pleasure of playing football and that everyone is in good health. It is the most important. 

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