Kwanda glad to be back in play with City
Six months out made defender even more resolute
Spending six months without playing, and training alone, are some of the difficulties new Cape Town City defender Kwanda Mngonyama went through before linking up with the Mother City side from Mamelodi Sundowns last week.
Mngonyama left Sundowns without playing a game for the club‚ having spent the past four seasons on loan to Bidvest Wits and Maritzburg United.
Nevertheless, the 24-year-old centreback insists he took only positives from his Sundowns stint, where he was forced to train with the youth team and alone after returning from Maritzburg at the end of last season because he was not in coach Pitso Mosimane’s plans.
“Things like these happen in life and in football. I will not hold any grudges against anyone. I grew from that situation and learnt that you must always be positive-minded,” Mngonyama told Sowetan. “Today I am a better player in terms of physiological strength because of what happened at Sundowns,” he said.
“Sometimes I trained with the MultiChoice Diski Challenge (MDC) boys but most of the time I was all alone. I did all that because I was honouring my contract with the club as I was getting paid as well.”
Mngonyama admits that his City move was a big relief because it gives him a good chance to relaunch his football career.
“I am very happy to be here at City. I will be starting a new life and I am upbeat that things will work out for me. It’s a big relief after staying six months without playing. I will not be putting pressure on myself,” he said.
“I need to return to full fitness first, then I’ll think about starting games,” said Mngonyama, who came from the bench to make his debut in City’s 1-0 defeat to Free State Stars on Saturday.