Mamelodi Sundowns coach Miguel Cardoso has revealed that defender Mothobi Mvala will go under the knife to repair his problematic knee, a development that could see the star miss the upcoming AFCON tournament.
After recovering from a long-term injury, the 31-year-old centre-back appeared to be on his way back to playing regular football as he featured in one match at the 2026 FIFA Club World Cup and recently made two Betway Premiership appearances.
But he is back on the sidelines after getting injured against Golden Arrows on September 24, a league match in which he was on the pitch for 30 minutes. Sundowns are yet to confirm the time he is due to be on the sidelines, but Cardoso said the centre-back will undergo a medical procedure.
“Unfortunately, we lost Mothobi and he will be submitted to surgery,” Cardoso said. “We knew that going for traditional treatment on his knee would provoke a possibility of setback.
“It was the decision that was taken between the player and the medical department last year to go through a conservative process and procedure. Things worked well, but unfortunately, there was an incident [against Arrows] and this time he will have to go to surgery.”
MVALA COULD MISS AFCON
After getting some game time in September, Mvala was slowly working his way back to the Bafana Bafana setup. But now, chances of him going to the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations [AFCON] finals with the national team look very slim with just two months to go to the tournament.
He was rock solid at the 2023 AFCON where he partnered Grant Kekana at the heart of defence as South Africa claimed bronze.
Meanwhile, another experienced Sundowns star Themba Zwane could also miss the continental tournament. The Bafana vice-captain has been struggling with injuries and like Mvala, Zwane was injured just as he was trying to get himself in the best shape.
But Cardoso gives hope for his 36-year-old captain. “Let’s have some patience with him,” said the Sundowns coach. “We have seen improvements much more than we would expect and for someone of his age, he is recovering very well. We have an expectation regarding him. Of course, we’re going to be cautious because not thinking about the national team, but thinking about us.
“Thinking about him, you have to be cautious. Last time we were cautious but now we have to be extra cautious, because we need him. More than pretty quickly he will be back in the team.”
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