Mothobi Mvala admits Sundowns return will not guarantee starting place

Mamelodi Sundowns defender Mothobi Mvala says he faces a difficult battle to regain a regular starting place after returning from a lengthy injury absence.

The 33-year-old spent a prolonged period on the sidelines and has now resumed playing, but several of his team-mates have established themselves as strong defensive options for head coach Miguel Cardoso.

Sundowns have significant depth in central defence, with Mvala competing for selection alongside Kegan Johannes, Khulumani Ndamane, Keanu Cupido, Grant Kekana, Wandile Dube and Malibongwe Khoza.

Mvala accepts that returning to the squad does not automatically guarantee him regular minutes, particularly while the players ahead of him continue to perform well.

“To be honest, since I got to this club, there’s always been competition. It was not easy for me personally. I knew when I come back, it won’t be easy because the guys are doing well, but being patient and hoping I’ll get my chance,” Mvala said.

The defender also described the psychological difficulty of being left out, saying a lack of opportunities can lead players to question their ability and consider what they must do to earn the coaching staff’s trust.

“Obviously every player wants to play but if you’re not chosen, it will always give you some doubt, like am I good enough? What must I do? At Sundowns, sometimes you don’t get a lot of time to show the coach to say I’m ready, put me in,” he added.

Mvala said the club had helped non-regular starters remain prepared by arranging friendly matches during tactical training periods.

“Most of the time we’re doing tactical sessions but at least the coach always organised friendly games for us, who are not playing, to keep us fit and when our time comes, we’re ready to perform and deliver for the club.”

Although his return has coincided with intense competition for defensive places, Mvala said he remained patient during his recovery and believed an opportunity would eventually come.

Sundowns’ involvement in several competitions could create further openings as the schedule places demands on the squad. Injuries, suspensions and fatigue may all affect selection, although Mvala acknowledged that the standard among the defenders remains high.

“So, I was ready, I knew my chance would come. As a team we play many games, sometimes there’s fatigue there, suspensions, injuries but the competition is tough, I hope they put me in again on Sunday,” he concluded.