It Really Killed Me

Thapelo Morena is in hisfourth season with Mam-elodi Sundowns and has proved to those who thought he was making a bad career move when he made the switch from Bloemfontein Celtic wrong by being one of the club’s most influential players. The 26-yearold player is not only a key player for Pitso Mosimane’s side but is aiming to contribute to what would be the side’s 10th

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Absa Premiership league title, an unprecedented feat. Despite being one of the most consistent players in the league, Morena has not always been so fortunate with Bafana Bafana call-ups, having also struggled with injury. In this interview with Soccer Laduma’s Tshepang Mailwane, the speedy right back talks about how he hopes things won’t go wrong with his latest call-up while he also looks to make history with Masandawana.

Tshepang Mailwane: Hi, Thapelo. Thanks for your time. You recently just returned from injury. How does it feel to be back on the pitch after a short spell on the sidelines?

Thapelo Morena: The injury I got was in the CAF Champions League game against Otoho (d’Oyo), I think in the 15th minute. It really put me under a bit of stress, but eventually, with the support that I had, I was able to come back a week before the doctor said I should come back.

TM: Where did most of your support come from while you were injured?

TM: I got a lot of support from my family, and from the medical team. They were there for me from the first minute I got injured. I think that’s the most important thing and doing my level best to push myself on the rehab side.

TM: You had to withdraw from the Bafana Bafana squad that was to face Zambia in a friendly international recently due to the injury. How difficult was that for you, knowing people have also been calling for you to be in the squad?

TM: It really killed me, but I know that there’s plenty of national team games still coming. I’m just happy that I was able to return to play for my club.

TM: And it was the second time you had missed out on a national team call-up in less than a year. The last time was when you were called up for the Seychelles game last year and you had to withdraw due to injury.