PSL’s oldest player back in training
Zuma is back to his former full fitness after being out of the game for six months.
After suffering a gruesome knee injury, the Premier Soccer League’s oldest player, Sibusiso Zuma, has returned to full training at SuperSport United.
The Tshwane-based football outfit, which will lock horns against the Soweto giants, Moroka Swallows on Saturday in the quarter finals of the Telkom Knockout, announced his return from injury over the weekend.
According to the team, the legendary striker is back and well after almost six months out of the game due to a knee injury that he suffered in last season’s Nedbank Cup final at the Moses Mabhida stadium.
The 38-year-old Zuma limped off the field during extra time of last May’s final match against Kaizer Chiefs in Durban and since then, he has not featured in any matches. Matsatsantsa a Pitori, who are the current PSL log leaders, announced earlier on the weekend that the veteran returned to training for the first time this season, having fully recovered from his injury.
The team stated that Zuma, Bradley Grobler and Sibusiso Khumalo are likely to be back in contention for the starting eleven of the team, as the Cavin Johnson-led club aims to play a fine game against Swallows in Atteridgeville on Saturday at 15:00. Zuma, who was honoured by the Danish club FC Copenhagen in August for his spectacular goal for the club back in June 2001, has been going strong in the game despite a few injury setbacks.
The goal Zuma, affectionately known as the Puma, scored helped his former European club, Copenhagen win their second championship.
His superb strike against Brøndby IF in 2001 was later voted by Copenhagen’s fans to be the league’s goal of the decade. The KwaZulu-Natal born striker, who also plays as a winger, has been contemplating retirement, but his performance on the field always speaks huge volumes about his great performance.
Zuma’s return to training will boost Johnson’s team, especially following the doubts hanging over the fitness of George Maluleka and Davies Nkausu while Roscoe Pietersen is still being coached back to fitness.
It remains to be seen if Matsatsantsa will prevent the Dube Birds from flying to the semi-finals after the final whistle of the Telkom tourney.
noweto@rekord.co.za
