Banyana Banyana team doctor Dr Lindi Mokoena has provided an update on the extent of the injury suffered by midfielder Gabriela Salgado on Tuesday.
Salgado sustained a career-threatening injury during Banyana Banyana’s 2024 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON 2024) semi-final match against Nigeria in Morocco with her setback leaving both sets of players distraught.
At the time, both teams were tied 1-1 with six minutes of regular time still to play but Nigeria scored a fortunate winning goal deep in injury time which ended South Africa’s journey, a setback that coach Desiree Ellis blamed on the emotional toll her players were going through after Salgado’s injury, leading to a lack of concentration.
What is the extent of Salgado’s injury?
Dr Mokoena has now revealed that Salgado broke her leg and underwent surgery in Morocco and will now be out for the rest of the year as she focuses on her recovery.
“Gabi sustained a fracture of the mid-shaft of her left leg during the fixture against Nigeria and underwent a successful surgery at the Mohamed VI University Hospital in Casablanca,” said Mokoena, as per SAFA.
“She will be out of action for the rest of the year, but we are pleased that she received exceptional care from the medical team of Banyana Banyana, CAF and the hospital.
Banyana midfielder was making first WAFCON start
“We were fully confident and comfortable with the procedure being performed in Morocco and would like to extend our heartfelt gratitude to CAF and the dedicated staff at the Mohamed VI University Hospital for their professionalism and outstanding support during this time.”
It was a major setback for the JvW midfielder, who was starting her first match at WAFCON, and also came at a crucial time for the defending champions who were looking forward to extra-time.
The 27-year-old had missed WAFCON 2022 through injury and was looking forward to making the most of her chances at this year’s tournament before the horrific injury struck.
