With the possible long-term injury to Themba Zwane, the timing couldn’t be worse for Bafana Bafana and coach Hugo Broos.
While the Broos-led Bafana are steadily rising to become a true power on the African continent once again, the influence and upcoming absence of Zwane is huge.
The 35-year-old Zwane was a key figure in Bafanaa’s 5-0 thumping of Congo in Gqeberha last week, in their Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) qualifier.
In their drawn return match in Brazzaville on Tuesday, Zwane went down injured in what would later be revealed as a serious Achilles injury.
Time out of the game
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.
While Bafana face an extended period without the talismanic player, former South Africa captain Aaron Mokoena spoke about Mshishi, as Zwane is known.
"We don't have another Mshishi. This boy, he's the only one we have. We can sit here and say that he's old and whatnot, but what he brings to the playing field is on another level. He can see what most cannot see. He can see the passes and spaces some players can't. He's got that speed of thought where he can see these spaces and passes and execute accordingly. He's an exceptional talent," Mokoena told SportsBoom.com.
"The Congo game was the type of game where we took control from the beginning to the end. As a coach, I always emphasise that 'you shut the back door, the rest will happen,' the guys did that fantastically. Winning 5-0 at home, especially in a province that we haven't been to in a very long time, was absolutely encouraging.
"It was a great game to watch. It was one of those games in which every player was available, every player turned up. That was the Bafana that we always wanted to see."