Mngqithi gives timelines for Themba Zwane’s return after successful surgery

Published on by Joel Oliver

Mamelodi Sundowns are hoping that star midfielder Themba Zwane can return as soon as February from an achilles fracture suffered while on international duty.

Zwane had an operation on Friday following the injury that he sustained in Bafana Bafana’s 1-1 draw away to Congo Brazzaville in their 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier, and while it is a long layoff, his coach Manqoba Mngqithi is hopeful that he will have a quick recovery.

“Themba’s injury was a complete fracture with his achillies. The operation took place on Friday and it was very successful. We are hoping in four to six months that he will be back,” said Mngqithi.

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“We are very optimistic because he’s generally a very fit player who normally comes back quicker than normal. We know his level of professionalism is second to none. We know he will work hard to try and get back to full fitness.”

Zwane’s injury was a blow to Sundowns and Mngqithi who had already started taking steps to manage his gametime in a bid to prevent him from such setbacks or burnout.

Bafana Bafana coach Hugo Broos, however, did not agree with the approach and started the midfielder in both matches against Congo before he was stretchered off injured in Brazzaville.

Mngqithi was not happy with Broos’ handling of Themba Zwane

Themba Zwane Bafana Bafana 1

“It’s sad when you lose some of your players that you were trying the best you can to save. I know this player for him to recover after a match would not be the same as a younger player like [Siyabonga] Mabena,” Mngqithi said last week while blaming Broos for not managing Zwane’s gametime.

“To see a player like Themba playing 90 minutes in the first match and still starting the second match, already for me, those were alarm bells. I think we could have dealt with this thing better as the two coaches. I do want to give him a call so that I talk to him directly. I don’t like to talk about someone, I prefer to talk to somebody.”

The 35-year-old is one of Sundowns’ key players with his creativity coming in handy as they challenge on multiple fronts but they will now have to do without him for a long period following the injury.

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Joel Oliver

Joel Oliver is a seasoned multimedia sports journalist with a rich background in covering diverse football stories and events in South Africa and beyond.
His extensive coverage spans subjects touching on the PSL, with a focus on the Big Three (Orlando Pirates, Kaizer Chiefs & Mamelodi Sundowns), Bafana Bafana and Banyana Banyana.