Mvala's always ready for war'

One of Bafana's top performers at the ongoing Afcon in Ivory Coast, Mothobi Mvala, has gone from zero to hero.

Before the tournament, many had little faith in Mvala. In fact, a few months ago, Mvala was one of the most scapegoated players in this country, thanks to a series of costly errors for his club Mamelodi Sundowns.

Mvala's Harry Maguire-like own goal against Wydad Casablanca in the CAF Champions League semifinals last May left his critics vindicated as it proved enough to deny Sundowns a passage to the final.

Fast-forward to 2024, Mvala has helped SA reach their first Afcon semifinal in 24 years. The Sundowns utility centre-back has played a telling role in Bafana keeping four clean sheets en route to tomorrow's titanic last-four clash with old enemies Nigeria in Bouaké (7pm SA time). This is a re-match of the 2000 semifinals, where the Super Eagles beat Bafana 2-0 to reach the final they eventually lost to Cameroon in Ghana/Nigeria. 

Many may be wondering how the 29-year-old Mvala has managed to shake off criticism to be one of Bafana's key players at Afcon; but the coach who gave him his Premiership debut, Allan Freese, isn't surprised to see the lad from Theunissen in the Free State rising again.

"Many don't know how dedicated Mothobi is. That boy is focused and I am not surprised that he's doing so well after being criticised. He's such a strong character and a warrior who's always ready for war.

"It's very difficult to distract Mothobi because he's focused,'' Freese, who gave Mvala his top-flight debut as a 22-year-old at Highlands Park back in September 2016, told Sowetan yesterday.

Freese also lauded Sundowns coaches for "improving" Mvala. The towering defender-cum-midfielder joined Sundowns in September 2020 soon after Highlands sold their Premiership franchise to TS Galaxy.

"You can see that Mothobi is well-coached at Sundowns. He's improved tremendously from his days at Highlands Park, so credit must also be given to Sundowns coaches,'' Freese said.