Sihle Nduli’s long-awaited return to competitive football has been cut short by another injury, with Orlando Pirates now awaiting medical assessments to determine the severity of the setback.
The midfielder was forced off during Orlando Pirates’ clash against AmaZulu in Durban, in what was meant to be a significant moment in his recovery.
Nduli was making his first official appearance since suffering an injury last season — coincidentally, also in Durban. After a lengthy period on the sidelines, the 24-year-old had finally worked his way back to full fitness and was handed the opportunity to return to competitive action.
But the comeback took an unfortunate turn when Nduli picked up another injury and was unable to continue.
Pirates head coach Abdeslam Ouaddou admitted that the club is now hoping the latest problem is not serious enough to force Nduli into another lengthy spell on the sidelines.
Speaking after the match, Ouaddou described Nduli’s return to Durban as a “surprise gift”, given the midfielder’s previous injury in the same city.
“We wanted to give him a gift, you know, if you remember he was injured here in Durban. So, really it was a good surprise for him to restart here.”
However, Nduli’s return lasted less than expected before the Pirates medical staff had to intervene.
“We had to take him out because unfortunately he could not continue.”
Ouaddou said it is too early to determine how serious the injury is, with the midfielder now set to undergo further examinations.
“We hope it’s not so bad. Now we are going to make some analysis, to go deep in the analysis and actually I cannot give you more update about that.”
The Pirates coach ended by expressing his hope that the club has not lost Nduli for another extended period.
“We just have to make some exam and we will see. But really I hope that we didn’t lose him again.”
The Buccaneers will now wait for the results of the medical assessment before confirming the extent of Nduli’s injury and how long he could be sidelined.
For Nduli, the latest setback comes at a particularly frustrating time after months of rehabilitation and anticipation surrounding his return.
