Kaizer Chiefs urged to manage player workloads amid injury crisis

Kaizer Chiefs can reduce their recurring injury problems by improving players’ rest, nutrition and workload management, sports physician Dr Mahlane Phalane says.

Phalane, who helped design the Premier Soccer League’s return-to-play strategy during the peak of the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020, believes inadequate recovery and training loads are contributing to the club’s growing list of absentees.

“You need energy to exercise; we often forget that, so they must be careful of their diet. Players also need rest and proper sleep … some of them are always on social media at night instead of resting,” Phalane told Sowetan.

He also stressed the importance of preparation and recovery around training and matches.

“When you take actual sport and science issues, you also need to warm up and cool down some people ignore this. There’s something called the elasticity index when you pull a rubber belt, you can pull it and extend it up to a certain point beyond which it’ll tear up, so even with the muscles, they warn you before you hurt them.”

Phalane said clubs must establish the workload at which players become more likely to suffer injuries, pointing out that footballers’ physical demands extend beyond match time.

“Load management is crucial. Clubs must know how many hours are the breaking point to reduce injury risk. Load isn’t only about games … these players exercise before games, so they hardly rest,” he said.

He added that players who are not given enough recovery time are particularly vulnerable to overuse injuries.

“Usually these are overuse injuries. Overuse injuries differ from sport to sport … in tennis we already know an elbow will have a problem. In football, it will be ankles, knees and even muscles; that’s why you’ll cramp and tear the hamstring or ligament.”

Chiefs currently have at least five key players unavailable with medium- or long-term injuries. Most of the recent problems were suffered either in training or without contact from another player.

Rushwin Dortley, 24, has not played an official match since undergoing knee surgery in March last year and is the club’s longest-serving injury absentee in recent years.

New signing Langelihle Phili, 21, scored in only his third appearance for Chiefs against Mamelodi Sundowns in mid-August after joining from Stellenbosch. A few weeks later, he was using crutches after injuring his ankle in training.

Lebohang Maboe, 32, was withdrawn from the Bafana Bafana camp after twisting his ankle during Chiefs’ goalless draw with Golden Arrows at Mbombela Stadium, shortly before the squad gathered.

Nkanyiso Shinga, 25, has not played since suffering an Achilles tendon injury on his debut against Richards Bay in March, after joining Chiefs before last season.

Thabiso Monyane, 26, has struggled to remain injury-free since moving from Orlando Pirates to Naturena in July last year. He was ruled out for four weeks at the start of last month after an unspecified training injury.

Chiefs also confirmed nearly a fortnight ago that captain and goalkeeper Brandon Petersen, 32, would miss at least four weeks with a knee injury sustained in training. Striker Wandile Duba, 22, was ruled out for a few weeks by a hip and groin strain.

Flavio Silva and Ethan Chislett have also missed matches this season because of training injuries.

Recent Chiefs injuries

– March 2025: Rushwin Dortley knee, 17 months, and still absent – May 2025: Khanyisa Mayo hernia, nearing a return after surgery – March 2026: Nkanyiso Shinga Achilles tendon, six to eight months, and still absent – August: Langelihle Phili ankle, eight weeks – Two weeks ago: Lebohang Maboe ankle, return date not confirmed – Two weeks ago: Brandon Petersen knee, four to six weeks – Two weeks ago: Wandile Duba hip and groin, return date not communicated