Mamelodi Sundowns head coach Miguel Cardoso has provided a major update on the return to action of midfield craftsman Themba Zwane, who has been out of action due to injury. Zwane suffered an Achilles tendon injury during an AFCON qualifying match against Congo-Brazzaville in October 2024.
Recent training footage revealed that he has been involved in first-team training, and furthermore, was among the players training with the rest of the team on Monday morning ahead of the CAF Champions League quarterfinal clash against Esperance. Speaking to journalists at the club media open day on Monday, Cardoso revealed that although the veteran has returned to training, he is not yet ready for a competitive match.
"Regarding the players that are still out of the group, Themba is almost there. But he’s still not in a condition to participate in this match and not even in the second one," Cardoso said. "Now we’re going to prepare to give them a stimulus of the game, not official games, because they should not participate in an official game before they have had the chance to play in a friendly."
The Brazilians host Esperance at Loftus Versfeld Stadium in the first leg on Tuesday. Kick-off is at 15:00.
Mamelodi Sundowns coach Miguel Cardoso has detailed his plan to get Bafana Bafana stars Themba Zwane and Mothobi Mvala ready for competitive football. The duo has been sidelined due to injuries. As the CAF Champions League enters the quarterfinal stage, Cardoso has laid out how the two will be prepared for action. Mvala last featured for Masandawana in December against AS FAR Rabat in the Champions League.
Zwane, on the other hand, has been sidelined by an Achilles injury since October last year. Sundowns take on Esperance on Tuesday afternoon at the Loftus Versveld Stadium in Pretoria. It’s the first-leg quarterfinal encounter, with the return leg set for Tunis a week from now.
The Tshwane giants players, including Mvala and Zwane, were engaged in training on Monday morning, gearing up for their highly anticipated match against Esperance. "Regarding the players that are still out of the group, Themba is almost there. But, he’s still not in a condition to participate in this match and not even in the second one," explained Cardoso. "But also Mothobi [Mvala] and [Lebo] Mothiba. Indeed, we feel that they are quite close. We feel that they are quite close, for you to be clear. We are now in the moment where they have already trained 100% with the group, with the exception of Mothiba, Rivaldo [Coetzee], and young [Siyabonga] Mabena."
The Portuguese mentor further said Zwane and Mvala “are training with the group”. “Now we’re going to prepare to give them a stimulus of the game, not official games, because they should not participate in an official game before they have had the chance to play in a friendly.” He went on to explain the process of getting them ready for competitive action.
“During this period of time that we’re going to play Esperance, there are two competition moments that they will be submitted to. Tomorrow [Tuesday], they will make in the morning a situation in full pitch with some players from the [DStv] Diski [Challenge] team. And then when we fly to Tunisia, there will be a friendly match where they are going to play against a team, and we will invite them to come to play with us.” Should the Brazilians proceed to the semifinal of the Champions League, the two are likely to feature.
Mamelodi Sundowns playmaker Themba Zwane has declared that this is the right time for them to win the CAF Champions League, hence the need to win against Espérance Sportive de Tunis on Tuesday. Zwane disclosed Sundowns ambition of winning the CAF Champions League ahead of the home quarterfinal, first-leg match at Loftus Versfeld Stadium in Pretoria on Tuesday.
Zwane said the South African champions are motivated by the desire to win the continental silverware they last laid their hands on in 2016. "The team is feeling good ahead of this game. We know what to expect. We know what we must do. I think overall we are ready as a team. This game means a lot because the goal now is to win the Champions League. It is not something that we have been hiding. Over these years, we have been pushing ourselves and I think this year is the right time to win it,” he said in an interview with iDiski reporter Lorenz Kohler.
The midfielder has resumed training with the Betway Premiership side after missing some weeks due to an injury, thereby boosting the hosts in Tuesday’s encounter. Meanwhile, Sundowns coach Miguel Cardoso says he expects his former employers Espérance Sportive de Tunis to maintain their identity despite changing two coaches since his exit last year.
The two teams will clash again in the quarter final second-leg match on April 8, 2025, a game the Sundowns boss suggests would be more crucial than the outcome of the first leg. Cardoso was in charge of the Tunisian giants when they stunned Sundowns 1-0 over two legs in the semifinal. Months later he was hired to replace highly rated Rulani Mokwena who is now in charge of Moroccan side Wydad Athletic Club.
Mamelodi Sundowns captain Themba Zwane declared that the Brazilians are determined to claim their first CAF Champions League title since 2016. Sundowns have come agonizingly close in recent years, reaching the semi-finals of Africa’s premier club competition, but have fallen short in their bid to capture continental glory.
Now, under new coach Miguel Cardoso, Sundowns are gearing up for yet another quarter-final appearance, with Zwane, who has been sidelined due to injury since last year, confident that this could be their year. The Brazilian side is set to face off against Esperance of Tunisia – Cardoso's former team, who ended Sundowns’ continental aspirations last season by defeating them in both home and away fixtures.
“The team is feeling good ahead of this game. We know what to expect, we know what to do. I think we're ready overall as a team,” Zwane told CAF TV. “I would say this game means a lot to us because our goal this season is to win the Champions League, it’s not something that we’re hiding. Over these years we have been pushing ourselves, and I think this year is the right year to win it and push on.”
With a rich history of success in domestic competitions and a team brimming with quality, Sundowns’ determination to end their nine-year wait for continental glory is palpable.
