30-year-old expresses gratitude to club medical team for their quick intervention

Orlando Pirates midfielder Sihle Nduli says support from his teammates helped him remain positive after he suffered a grade 3 ankle ligament tear during their league match against AmaZulu in August.

Initially Nduli was expected to face about four months on the sidelines, but he made an earlier return to light running and individual drills on the training pitch after just five weeks.

The 30-year-old expressed gratitude to the club medical team for their quick intervention and said he hoped to be back in full action soon, thanking his teammates for supporting him.

“It was painful, especially the way I got injured. But having my teammates and everyone around me supporting me helped me understand that these things happen in football and that I needed to stay strong,” Nduli said.

“What can I say? Sustaining injuries is part of football. The people close to me stood by my side and helped me remain strong during a difficult time.”

The former Stellenbosch player suffered a long-term injury in November last year during their clash against Golden Arrows, which also kept him sidelined for several months.

And with tough competition in the middle of the park, Nduli said he has a healthy contest with fellow players in his position.

“I think everyone who is there [is] the same; whoever is playing, it is like I am playing. We are one team.”

The Buccaneers lost the MTN8 prize that they won last season when they suffered a 2-0 defeat to Mamelodi Sundowns in the final at the weekend. But Nduli believes they have enough depth to do better in the remaining competition this campaign.

“It’s easy because the team is still the same and we added few new players, so we have a chance of doing more than we did last season.”