Mamelodi Sundowns coach Manqoba Mngqithi has issued an injury update on Mothobi Mvala ahead of the 2024 Carling Knockout Cup final.
The Brazilians are preparing to face Magesi FC in the Carling Cup final at the Free State Stadium on Saturday, 23 November 2024.
Sundowns have been tipped as hot favourites to clinch the second trophy of the 2024/25 campaign after Orlando Pirates won the MTN8 title against Stellenbosch FC earlier in the season.
On the road to the final, Masandawana scored 11 goals without conceding. In the first round, Sundowns defeated Golden Arrows 5-0, and they beat Kaizer Chiefs 4-0 in the quarter-final before claiming a 2-0 victory against Marumo Gallants in the semi-finals.
Meanwhile, Magesi defeated Orlando Pirates, TS Galaxy, and Richards Bay FC to reach the final in their first season in the SA’s top-flight. Dikwena tša Meetse gained promotion from the Motsepe Foundation Championship last season.
WHAT DID MANQOBA MNGQITHI SAY ABOUT MOTHOBI MVALA’S INJURY?
With Sundowns aiming to lift the second edition of the Carling Cup, Mngqithi has revealed that the injury of the key defender Mvala is not a serious one.
The hard-tackling defender sustained an injury on his arm while on international duty with Bafana Bafana. The 30-year-old featured for Bafana when they beat Uganda 2-0 in the 2025 AFCON qualifiers but missed the 3-0 win over South Sudan in Cape Town this past Tuesday due to an injury.
During the Bafana match against South Sudan, Broos said it was impossible to play Mvala. However, his coach at Sundowns says it’s not a severe injury that could keep him out of the final.
“We did get feedback on Mothobi. It’s just an injury in the hand, and it’s not something that can take him out from playing in the final,” Mngqithi said.
Mvala recently returned to match fitness after missing a handful of matches at the start of the 2024/25 Betway Premiership season.
The former Highlands Park midfielder made his return from injury in the first round of the Carling Cup against Golden Arrows. He went on to feature in five matches across all competitions and scored one goal this season.
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