Mamelodi Sundowns holding-midfielder Rivaldo Coetzee has fully recovered from a hernia injury that kept him out of action for nine months.
The Kakamas-born star, who is raring to reclaim his place in the starting line-up, said via the Sundowns official website: “Luckily for me, I was out of action for an entire year when I came to Mamelodi Sundowns. During that time, I got to work on my mental wellbeing.
“This time around it is different because I had to undergo surgery, but because I had built up my mental strength, it worked in my favour during the treatment.”
Coetzee explained how maintaining a positive attitude has helped him to full recovery.
“I prepared myself mentally because I knew the journey to full recovery wouldn’t be easy. My positive mindset pushed me to put in a little bit of extra work and I was able to keep in shape during the time I was out, and I’m happy about that.”
He also mentioned that for the first two months after surgery, he did not attend training at Chloorkop or interacted with teammates, something he missed so much. He travelled with the team for the first time this season when the Brazilians played Maritzburg United and Royal AM in KwaZulu-Natal recently.
Now Coetzee hopes to be match ready when Sundowns lock horns with Orlando Pirates on New Year’s Eve, the club’s last game of the year. The DStv Premiership encounter will take place at the Loftus Versfeld Stadium in Pretoria.
“I’m happy to be back with the team and on the bench. It is a good step for me, as I have just returned from injury,” he said.
The 25-year-old star further expressed his gratitude to the club’s medical team for looking after him during his journey to full recovery.
For the latest sports news from Sunday World, click here.
Follow @SundayWorldZA on Twitter and @sundayworldza on Instagram, or like our Facebook Page, Sunday World, by clicking here for the latest breaking news in South Africa. To Subscribe to Sunday World, click here
