“The paperwork didn’t go through and the coach that wanted me there got sacked, so it probably would have been bad for me. I’m glad it didn’t go through.”
Sasa Ognenovski, the gigantic central defender who was supposed to play for Macedonia but never did because of paperwork not well done by the FFM, says that now he is glad that he is not playing for Macedonia and instead he plays for Australia. He says that the national team coach that wanted him in the red top (Srečko Katanec) got sacked within a month and that he didn’t believe the new coach would have wanted him. And he was right. Mirsad Jonuz publicly declared that he has many central defenders and that Ognenovski isn’t needed. Seems like everything finally turn out good for Sash.
“I was close (to playing for Macedonia). The paperwork didn’t go through, but if it had I probably would have been playing for them. In saying that the coach that wanted me there got sacked after the Holland game (in April 2009), so it probably would have been bad for me. I’m glad it didn’t go through. Given the choice of representing Australia or Macedonia, I wanted to play for Australia. The choice was easy.”
After debuting against Egypt in November, Ognenovski is now called up for the 2011 AFC Asian Cup that will be held in Qatar in January.
He wasn’t called up for the 2010 FIFA World Cup in Sout Africa because of, as the than Australian coach Pim Verbeek said “He wanted to play for another country (Macedona)”, but Ognenovski received a belated Christmas present from Australian coach Holger Osieck when he was included in the 23-man squad to travel to Qatar. The opportunity to represent Australia at a major tournament may be the greatest achievement to date for the 31-year-old. The Socceroos are in the Group C along with South Korea, India and Bahrain. He is the only Australian of Macedonian origine in the squad.
“It’s massive, a great honour and a reward for the hard work and sacrifices and all that. To be rewarded with a major tournament is unbelievable for me, and I’ve got to make sure that I take full advantage of it. It’s a big tournament. I know the Koreans are taking it very seriously, and from what I’ve heard the Japanese are too. This year will probably be the most serious (Asian Cup) that has been played yet. I don’t think many of the teams took it too seriously last time around, but I think this time around it’s going to be a bit harder. A lot of the (Australian) boys are leaving clubs that are in difficult situations and heading over for the cause, so I think you’ll see 110 percent effort from everyone.”
The call-up caps an incredible year for Ognenovski, who captained Seongnam to the AFC Champions League trophy, was named the best footballer in Asia and led his club to fourth in the Club World Cup against a field that included Italian giants Inter where he faced Goran Pandev.
The interview and the photo are borrowed from the Sportal.com.au.