Mamelodi Sundowns coach Manqoba Mngqithi has provided an update on the injury status of star player Rivaldo Coetzee.
The centre-back-cum-defensive midfielder sustained an injury in Sundowns’ 3-0 victory against Cape Town City FC a fortnight ago in the Betway Premiership.
In that match, Mngqithi had initially rested him. However, Coetzee was introduced late in the game following an injury scare on Bafana Bafana midfielder Bathusi Aubaas.
Unfortunately, Coetzee was fouled and got injured. That led him to be ruled out of the 4-0 demolition of rivals Kaizer Chiefs last Saturday in the Carling Knockout Cup quarter-finals. He also missed Sundowns’ 2-0 win over Polokwane City FC in a league tie on Wednesday.
In the 2024/25 PSL campaign, the versatile player has been a regular starter in the Masandwana starting line-up. So far, he has featured eight times for the Tshwane giants in all competitions.
In the past seasons, the 28-year-old has always been injury-prone, which has resulted in his move to Scottish giants Glasgow Celtic ahead of the 2018/19 season to collapse after he failed the medical tests.
MANQOBA MNGQITHI SAYS RIVALDO COETZEE WILL BE OUT FOR MORE THAN FOUR WEEKS
Mngqithi revealed that Coetzee sustained an ACL injury [Anterior Cruciate Ligament]. Therefore, he will be on the sidelines for more than a month.
“The Reeva [Rivaldo Coetzee] one is a serious injury, probably four weeks out if not more, ACL. He has to go for an operation, I think, this coming week, but it’s a bad one,” said Mngqithi.
“We hope he will come back when we need him the most in the latter stages of the season.”
Coetzee’s injury is the latest after captain Themba Zwane sustained an injury last month. ‘Mshishi’ was unfortunate whilst on international duty with Bafana Bafana in the 2025 AFCON qualifiers against Congo Brazzaville last month.
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