Rivaldo Coetzee has totally healed from a hernia injury he sustained in early March of this year while playing for Mamelodi Sundowns. The Brazilians Media team sat up with The Kakamas-born superstar to discuss his road to recovery, how he dealt with the injury, and how he feels being back with the rest of the team following the injury.
“Fortunately, I was off the field for a year before joining Mamelodi Sundowns, so I was able to concentrate on my mental health and learn how to be resilient in such situations. But this time is different because I had to have surgery and I had to be mentally strong, and because I had previously developed my mental strength, it helped me during this accident.”
Coetzee explained how maintaining a good attitude has aided him on his road to recovery, saying, “I had psychologically prepared myself and I knew the road to recovery would not be simple for me. I’m pleased that my optimistic outlook motivated me to put in a little bit of extra effort and allowed me to maintain my fitness level while I was away.”
During his rehabilitation spell, the Bafana Ba Style player revealed how much he missed the boys at the cub and their atmosphere. Coetzee also noted that for the first two months following his operation, he did not go to Chloorkop for training and did not have the opportunity to socialize with his teammates, which was the one thing he missed while he was gone. The midfielder noted that the attitude during training with his colleagues at the club is always positive since everyone is always happy and optimistic, which helps when one is feeling depressed.
Rivaldo traveled with the squad for the first time this season to KwaZulu-Natal for the matches against Maritzburg United and Royal AM. He wants to be match-ready for Masandawana’s final game of the season on the eve of the new year, should he be given the chance to play.
“I’m glad to be back with the club and on the bench since it’s a good sign that I’ve returned from injury.” The 25-year-old superstar also expressed his gratitude to the club’s medical staff for caring for him during his injury and often checking on his recovery.
Mamelodi Sundowns will face Orlando Pirates at Loftus Versfeld Stadium on 31 December 2022 in their next DSTV Premiership match.