Teboho Mudau suffers ‘very serious injury’ in Mamelodi Sundowns win

Mamelodi Sundowns defender Teboho Mudau is facing a significant spell on the sidelines after head coach Miguel Cardoso described his injury as “very serious” following Wednesday’s victory over Marumo Gallants.

Sundowns returned to winning ways with a 2-0 success, secured by goals from Malibongwe Khoza and Cassius Mailula. The result moved the Brazilians into third place in the table and also left them level with Orlando Pirates and Kaizer Chiefs.

However, the victory was overshadowed by Mudau’s early departure. The defender was forced off midway through the first half and was replaced by Zuko Mdunyelwa.

Cardoso said Mudau’s injury occurred without contact during an incident that was reviewed by the club after the match. He also confirmed that the player had not recovered from an earlier problem sustained in his first match.

“Yeah, we believe so unfortunately, very serious injury. No, he got injured outside of the pitch on that action there was no contact, I thought it was the one in the middle.

“But no, it was not, it was here we reviewed the action. This one was not from a tackle, unfortunately Teboho is not ok from that first match.

“But no this was absolutely no occasion, it happens, there are accidents in F1, incidents in Football, it’s a big loss, let’s hope the other rise for the challenge ahead.”

Mudau’s absence represents a major setback for Sundowns, while it could also affect the South Africa national team. The defender has now joined Teboho Mokoena and Arthur Sales among the players unavailable because of injury.

The loss of Mudau came during a match in which Sundowns otherwise produced the response Cardoso wanted after their previous result. Khoza and Mailula provided the goals needed to secure the points, with Mailula continuing his strong run of form.

Despite the injury concern, the three points gave Sundowns an important lift in the table. Their performance pleased Cardoso, but the focus after the final whistle quickly turned to the condition of Mudau and the challenge of replacing him.

Cardoso indicated that there had been no tackle or physical collision responsible for the latest problem. Instead, he described it as an accident, while acknowledging the significance of the setback for the club.

Sundowns will now have to manage the squad without Mudau, Mokoena and Sales as the injured players continue their recovery. The club will also hope that other members of the team can respond to the increased demands created by the defender’s absence.