Tshepang Mailwane: Phakamani, you returned from injury and were immediately called up to the national U23 team. It must have felt great! Phakamani Mahlambi:
It was a great feeling to be selected for the national team after being out for five weeks. For me, it was great.
TM: However, you unfortunately got injured in the TelkomKnockout quarterfinal tie against Chippa United over the weekend. This had led to you being withdrawn from the squad. We wish you a speedy recovery. So, how big was it for you that, even though you’d been injured, coach David Notoane had the confidence to call you up as the team prepared for the U23 Africa Cup of Nations starting this weekend?
PM: I think it starts with the whole technical team believing in me after being out for so long and knowing that we have a major tournament ahead of us and needing to prepare because we want to win the tournament. So, for me, it meant a lot that the coach called me up.
TM: How difficult were the five weeks that you were out injured, considering you finished last season on a high with a goal which won your club Mamelodi Sundowns the league title against Free State Stars?
PM: With the team that we have at Sundowns, it’s always difficult to get back into the starting line-up after getting an injury. So, yeah, I just worked harder to get back on my feet and get back to my fitness so that I could help the team to progress. I also wanted to do well for the national team so that we qualify for the Olympics. There’s a lot of people that I grew up with in this (U23) team. It’s people I grew up playing with, even in the U14 leagues, so I’m familiar with everyone. The guys have been to the U17 and U20 World Cups and it’s guys who’ve been playing well. So, it will be easy for them to gel and play to their best potential.
This story is from the 6 November 2019 edition of Soccer Laduma.
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This story is from the 6 November 2019 edition of Soccer Laduma.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
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