Big losses for Downs hardman

There will be no AFCON finals return for Mothobi Mvala with the year 2025 ending with hospital visits instead of minutes on the field for the Mamelodi Sundowns defender. Mvala has undergone knee surgery and will not be playing again this year. READ | Chiefs seal ticket to Confed Cup group stages It has been such a difficult year for the former Highlands Park man that he has only played five games, and none being full shifts. His first two appearances this year were at the tail end of last season when he played for a quarter of an hour against Chippa United and then 45 minutes against Magesi FC. This was in May. The following month, he got five minutes in Sundowns' opening match at the FIFA Club World Cup. Since then, he has played twice this season - 15 minutes against Magesi and then half an hour in the defeat to Golden Arrows. That's a total of only 110 minutes for the year, which is the equivalent of just over one match. He will have missed over 50 games for the Tshwane giants throughout this calendar year by the time the dates change to 2026. The latest injury, in what has become a trail of medical concerns, is a knee that has forced him to undergo surgery, as confirmed by Downs coach Miguel Cardoso. READ | Progress report for Pirates 'senior statesman' The consequence of this is that there will be no AFCON finals return for the 31-year-old, who was a key member as Bafana Bafana reached the semi-finals in Cote d'Ivoire at the beginning of last year. Mvala is only expected back next year, possibly towards the end of the season.