Mothobi Mvala reveals the mental strain behind his long Sundowns injury absence

Mothobi Mvala has described the “stress” of recovering from knee surgery after a lengthy spell on the sidelines at Mamelodi Sundowns.

The 32-year-old centre-back’s absence was so prolonged that he made his first start under manager Miguel Cardoso only after the Portuguese had taken charge of 105 matches.

That return came 10 days ago. Mvala has since completed two full matches as he works his way back into the Sundowns side, with the final months of his contract now approaching.

“It was not an easy journey for me,” said Mvala, who is known for his uncompromising style on the field.

“Being injured is really stressing. For me, it was my first time doing surgery and I was asking myself if will ever come back to the game. Will I ever be the same Mothobi Mvala?”

Family and medical team helped Mvala recover

Mvala said the support he received from those closest to him, together with the work of Sundowns’ medical staff, played a central role in helping him through the recovery.

He identified his wife, his wider family and the club’s medical team as the people who provided stability during the most difficult periods of his rehabilitation.

“But people around me, including my wife and my family, were there for me,” he said.

“Our physio encouraged me to watch a lot of documentaries about guys who had similar injuries, which gave me hope.

“It was worrying because it is not an easy injury and not something that I wish someone could go through.”

The defender also admitted that remaining away from the team while Sundowns continued to compete was emotionally challenging. However, he said the encouragement around him helped him maintain a positive outlook.

“I’m happy that I had good guys around me,” Mvala added.

Watching Sundowns win trophies

Following Sundowns from the treatment room brought mixed emotions, but seeing his team lift trophies ultimately gave Mvala renewed belief that he could return and contribute again.

“Watching the guys lifting the trophy gave me happiness and hope that I will be back to help the team,” he said.

“For me to be where I am now is because of my teammates.

“I was very positive that I would be back.”

Mvala is now preparing for Sundowns’ CAF Super Cup match against USM Alger on Sunday, as he seeks to build further momentum after finally returning to competitive action under Cardoso.