Bafana Bafana’s Hugo Broos was left a dejected coach after his star playmaker Themba Zwane was struck down with a serious injury during their Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) qualifier against hosts Congo on Tuesday evening.
While Broos would have been desperately hoping to win their clash and secure his side’s Afcon qualification, he had to settle for a 1-1 draw in Brazzaville.
But perhaps the biggest blow was the news that Zwane sustained an Achilles injury, which is always serious.
Zwane at 35 was in the peak of his career, and was one of the stars of the previous match against Congo in Gqeberha last week, as Bafana romped to a thumping 5-0 victory.
Uphill battle
An Achilles injury is always long term, and given Zwane’s age the situation will be even more dire. The time out with the injury and the journey back to fitness, will be an uphill battle for the Mamelodi Sundowns playmaker Zwane who has become a vital cog in the Bafana midfield.
“Themba Zwane is a very important player for us. It was not a good thing for us that Themba had to go out with an injury. It’s a big injury - Achilles,” said Broos.
“I’m afraid he will be out for months. When you lose such an important player it’s difficult in the game where you are dominated. Themba is someone who can keep the ball and give the last pass.
“He was not there, and that was maybe a reason why we didn’t play so well today.”