Mothobi Mvala: Sundowns defender reveals emotional cost of 12-month injury absence

Mamelodi Sundowns defender Mothobi Mvala says a year away from football left him questioning whether his career was over, but he is now targeting a contribution to their CAF Super Cup meeting with USM Alger on Sunday.

The 32-year-old has completed two entire 90-minute matches in the space of a week, marking another important step in his return to full match fitness.

Mvala spoke about the mental and physical difficulties of his recovery before the match at Loftus Versfeld, describing the uncertainty that came with watching his club and country compete while he remained sidelined.

“It was sad, I was emotional sometimes asking myself why me, especially at that time where there were a lot of competitions. There was AFCON, there was CAF to play for, there was a World Cup coming also,” he said.

“So, I was looking forward to being part of the squad because you want to make history while you are still playing for your club and for your country. When that injury hit me I was very emotional, I thought maybe, I’m done, I never thought I’ll be back and playing again.”

The defender said his rehabilitation was made easier by the support of former Strasbourg striker Lebo Mothiba, who has also endured the same knee injury during his career abroad.

Mvala kept himself occupied by watching matches and documentaries about players who had recovered from similar injuries, using their experiences to maintain hope during a difficult period.

“I kept myself busy, watched a lot of games, and watched a lot of documentaries of the guys that went through this injury. It gave me hope and motivated me that this thing is not new, a lot of players go through this thing,” he added.

He said having Mothiba nearby provided a practical source of encouragement, particularly because the striker’s injury had been more serious.

“Being close to Lebo Mothiba helped me because he’s someone that went through this injury, he was even worse than me. I will motivate myself, when I look at him, running, playing, I’d be like, I’ll also be back.

“His was worse, mine is a bit better but being next him helped me a lot. Sometimes, you wake up in the morning and you feel pain, you don’t know where this pain comes from, you feel like you are getting better, the next moment, back to zero.

“People like Lebo, you phone them and tell them, you don’t think this thing is gonna happen and they tell you, don’t worry, you are gonna be okay. The medical staff at Sundowns were very supportive.”

Mvala’s two recent full matches suggest he is moving closer to being able to play a regular role as Mamelodi Sundowns pursue CAF Super Cup success against USM Alger.