Mamelodi Sundowns defender Mothobi Mvala is not overly concerned about the possibility of losing his Bafana Bafana spot after dropping down in the centre-back pecking order at the club.
Mvala only played five minutes at the recent Fifa Club World Cup in the US, where Sundowns earned rave reviews despite failing to get out of their group. They finished third in Group F with four points. German giants Borussia Dortmund topped the pool with seven points, two above Fluminense of Brazil.
“It’s football ... we will see what happens with the national team," he told Sowetan. “I will leave everything to the coaches. I can only control things that I can.”
Mvala’s last Bafana call-up was in September for the double Afcon qualifiers against Uganda and South Sudan.
“If I don’t make the national team, it’s still fine,” he said. “I will keep on working hard, but I believe in myself and my qualities. I am just focused on my game, hoping that I can stay injury-free this upcoming season.”
Mvala’s five-minute appearance at the Club World Cup was against Ulsan of South Korea in Sundowns’ first game. Coach Miguel Cardoso favoured Grant Kekana and Keanu Cupido as his central defence pair, with Mosa Lebusa deemed third in the pecking order, ahead of Mvala.
The 31-year-old Mvala admitted that he’d wished he’d got more play time in the US, but understood the stiff competition for places in the team. He suggested that a long-term knee injury that kept him out of play for almost the entire first half of last term disadvantaged him, though he still appreciated getting a spot on the bench.
“Of course, I wanted to play more minutes, but you know, at Sundowns the competition is always tough. The guys had been doing well when I came back from injury,” Mvala said.
“Being on the bench shows that the coach believes in me because there were a few players that we left behind. So, being there was a big thing for me, even though I didn’t play [much].”
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