Mothobi Mvala credits Cardoso, Mothiba and documentaries for injury comeback

Mothobi Mvala says the support of coach Miguel Cardoso, fellow player Lebo Mothiba, his family and a documentary about Alphonso Davies helped him remain positive during a difficult recovery from injury.

The Mvala sustained during the 2024/25 season ruled him out of the Africa Cup of Nations and FIFA World Cup with Bafana Bafana. He was also forced to watch from the sidelines as his Mamelodi Sundowns team-mates won the CAF Champions League, the biggest prize in club football on the continent, last season.

The 32-year-old would probably have played a key role in those competitions had he remained fit, but instead he had to follow events away from the pitch while supporting his team.

“I was positive that I would be back. The medical team helped me a lot. They kept on motivating me that it will be okay,” Mvala told media at Chloorkop on Thursday morning.

“Lebo Mothiba was there for me. He is someone who had a similar injury. Every time when I was feeling something on my knee, I’d say ‘I am feeling something here’ and he would say it’s normal.

“I kept myself in the game. I was watching a lot of games, my games also. It was motivating me watching football.”

Mvala said Cardoso also ensured he remained involved with the Sundowns squad as he worked towards a return.

“When I came back, the coach made sure that I played a lot of friendlies and at some point, I was travelling with the team when they played in CAF (Champions League), just to be there with the team in camp, while I knew I was not going to play,” he said.

“It was giving me that motivation and energy to feel like I am a part of the group. I was not feeling like an outsider or people are not thinking of me. That really helped me.

“Kudos to the coach for putting me in the squad while I was injured.”

Davies documentary provided inspiration

Mvala also found encouragement in documentaries about athletes who had overcome serious injuries. He said a film about Bayern Munich defender Alphonso Davies was particularly helpful after he underwent surgery for the first time.

“For me, it was my first time doing a surgery and I was asking myself if I will ever come back in the game and if I will ever be the same Mothobi Mvala,” he said.

“But the people around me, my family, my wife, they were there for me. Our physios encouraged me to watch a lot of documentaries. I was watching others who had similar injuries, like Davies from Bayern (Munich). He had a similar injury. That documentary helped me a lot.”

Mvala has since begun receiving regular game time for Sundowns this season, with his confidence expected to grow as he continues to play.

Sundowns face Algerian side USM Alger in the CAF Super Cup final this weekend.