Rivaldo a boost for Bafana
Defender’s longawaited return to bolster Downs
Bafana Bafana received a major boost when defender Rivaldo Coetzee made his much-anticipated debut for Mamelodi Sundowns on Wednesday.
Coetzee has been struggling to recover from a foot injury for more than a year since joining Sundowns in August 2017.
The former Bafana regular had an unusual bone fragment in his foot that made it difficult for him to heal properly.
He played his first match for the club in the preliminary round of the CAF Champions League in their 2-0 win over Leones Vegetarianos in Equatorial Guinea on Wednesday.
The 22-year-old played the full 90 minutes for the Brazilians, where he delivered an outstanding performance.
His agent Mike Makaab was elated that Coetzee was finally back on the field of play. “I feel like going somewhere in a corner and cry right now, that’s how happy I am.
“I have been in the industry for 20 years and I had never seen something like that. This was the most unusual and inexplicable injury.
“Credit must go to club (Mamelodi Sundowns) president Patrice Motsepe and coach Pitso Mosimane for believing in him and not putting him under any pressure to start playing.”
While it’s still early, the recovery is great news for Bafana Bafana coach Stuart Baxter as the national side have a do-or-die clash with Libya in March in the Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers.
Coetzee’s injury was discovered during a medical with (Scottish side) Glasgow Celtic that resulted in his transfer from Ajax Cape Town being called off before signing with Sundowns.
Someone who has contributed to Coetzee’s career immensely is Ajax youth clubhouse official Luis de Faria.
De Faria, who is like a father to Coetzee, expressed relief that his boy is back.
“Rivaldo lived with me in my personal house while he was at Ajax, and I am so delighted right now. I know what he went through in the past year with the injury and I am very pleased.”