Mothobi Mvala ready for CAF Super Cup final after overcoming serious knee injury

Mamelodi Sundowns defender Mothobi Mvala says he is prepared to put his body on the line in Saturday’s CAF Super Cup final against USM Alger at Loftus, after completing his return from a career-threatening knee injury.

Mvala endured a difficult rehabilitation programme and admitted he sometimes questioned whether he would play again. However, he has now come through four competitive matches without suffering a setback and is expected to start against the Algerian side.

The defender has impressed since returning to central defence, with Sundowns coach Miguel Cardoso still without recovering defenders Grant Kekana and Keanu Cupido.

Mvala said the uncertainty surrounding his first major operation was difficult to manage.

“To be honest, the doubts sometimes come to mind, and they hit you hard. It is the first time I [had] surgery, and sometimes I found myself asking if I would ever come back to the game,” he said.

“I asked myself if I was going to be the same Mthobi Mvala when I came back, but my family was there for me.”

The 29-year-old also drew encouragement from players who had recovered from similar injuries. Sundowns’ physiotherapists advised him to watch documentaries about their experiences, including one featuring Bayern Munich’s Alphonso Davies.

“Our physiotherapists encouraged me to watch a lot of documentaries. I watched stories of guys who suffered similar injuries in England,” Mvala said.

“I also watched the documentary of Alphonso Davies of Bayern Munich, who had a similar injury, and they helped me a lot. They gave me hope that I would go back to the field because at some stages I was really worried.

“It was not an easy injury, and it’s not something that I wish on anyone.”

Mvala acknowledged that fear remained when he first returned to training, particularly when it came to making tackles. But his confidence quickly improved after the first challenges.

“In your first competitive training session you have that thing of being scared to tackle, but one or two tackles give you confidence, and you are no longer scared,” he said.

“I remember when I came back, I made a tackle in training, and everyone was scared. It takes one 50-50 tackle to get you back into the game and to be strong and not to be scared.”

He credited Sundowns’ medical staff for ensuring he was ready before returning to the squad, while former South Africa striker Lebo Mothiba offered reassurance whenever he felt discomfort in his knee.

Mvala also watched his previous matches, followed football closely and travelled with Sundowns during their Champions League commitments while injured. Cardoso included him in the squad and arranged a series of friendlies once he was fit.

“That gave me motivation and energy to know that I am part of the group,” he said. “That really helped me, and kudos to the coach for putting me in the squad while I was injured.”