INFLUENTIAL Mamelodi Sundowns attacking midfielder Lebohang Maboe has opened up about the challenges he has faced during his lengthy spell on the sidelines due to a severe knee injury.
Maboe suffered a lateral meniscus and anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury at the start of the season, and was subsequently ruled out for the rest of the campaign.
And having been one of the most consistent and important players for Downs in the last couple of seasons, Maboe’s absence hasn’t been ideal for the Tshwane giants. Maboe admits that it hasn’t been easy watching from the sidelines and has had to make some adjustments to his routines.
“It’s really not easy having to deal with a long-term injury, going from being active your whole life, preparing for camps and games to just sitting at home and watching the team play. You always want to be involved in the sessions and the games,” he told his club’s website.
“Keeping myself motivated the whole time hasn’t been easy. One of the things I’ve learnt is to take it one day at a time. You don’t really know what that means until you have to be out for 6 months.
“After the operation, you can’t do some of the things you do daily, for example getting in and out of bed – you can’t do that on your own, so I had to rely on my family to help me. With regards to rehab it can also be frustrating, you can wake up one day and the knee might not be responding as well as the other days.
“As much as you want to push yourself, there’s nothing you can do, you just have to wait for the knee to heal.”
Maboe, who played 27 times in the DStv Premiership for the defending champions last season, will play no part in their quest for a fifth straight league title.
The 27-year-old also saw his chances to represent his country consistently suffer a blow, and he will now have to work his way back into the Bafana Bafana setup.
“At the same time, it’s important to be mentally strong with such an injury that keeps you out for most of the season,” added Maboe.
“I just had to keep myself motivated. It’s a process that at first I wasn’t enjoying but then I told myself I have to enjoy it, with the end goal in mind.”
