Tando Velaphi will provide television viewers with a unique insight into Melbourne City’s friendly against Manchester City when the goalkeeper wears a microphone during the match on Saturday.
John van ‘t Schip’s A-League side tackle their English Premier League sister club at Cbus Super Stadium on the Gold Coast this weekend.
And fans watching at home will feel closer to the action than ever before when Velaphi and Melbourne City assistant coach Luciano Trani wear microphones provided by broadcaster Fox Sports.
“(It will) take some getting used to – and I guess I’ll have to keep expletives to a minimum,” Velaphi told the Daily Telegraph.
“I’m all for it – I think I’ll be getting a bit of action on Saturday night, so it’s a great chance to try something new.
“Certainly it’s a different way to interact with the viewers and the fans, and give them a different perspective to what they normally get.
“I’ve seen it in cricket I think, but nowhere else, so it might feel a little strange. But I’ve been assured it’s a small unit that won’t get in the way, and I’m actually looking forward to seeing how it plays out.”
It could be argued that Velaphi will already have plenty to worry about when he takes on the likes of Yaya Toure and David Silva, but the former Perth Glory man is confident his defence will afford him the protection he needs to keep supporters at home up to date.
“It’s a great opportunity to see how we fare against what is our sister club, but also a much bigger club,” he said.
“So hopefully the boys in front of me stay strong and I don’t have too much to do.”
