Africa-Press – Eswatini. Mbabane Highlanders captain Khanyakwezwe Shabalala and midfielder Banele ‘Pupu’ Sikhondze will reportedly miss two weeks of MTN Premier league action.
This publication reported early this week that the Inkunzi Emnyama captain was stretchered off the field at Mavuso Sports Centre on Sunday, during his side’s 2-1 win against Moneni Pirates and taken to hospital for examination of his ankle. The latest development regarding the player is that he has been fitted with a back slab, which will support and stabilise his injured ankle, allowing it to heal properly. Unfortunately, the goalkeeper is not the only injured Highlanders player.
Reports suggest that the talented former Manzini Wanderers midfield king-pin, who recently signed a lucrative one-year contract with Inkunzi Emnyama, will also be sidelined for the next two weeks through injury. He was involved in a serious collision with Moneni Pirates’ defensive midfielder, Innocent Pakula, according to impeccable sources within the Highlanders camp; the former Mbabane Swallows star (Pupu) will not take part in Highlanders next game, which is expected in less than two weeks’ time.
“Pupu has a knee injury and has not been involved in any training this week, after getting injured in the game against Moneni Pirates on Sunday. The player will see the doctor today (yesterday) and we will get to see how bad his injury is and take it from there. For Khanyakwezwe, he is definitely out and will be back after two-three weeks and his injury is also a blow for the national team,” the source said.
A back slab ankle is a type of cast or splint used to support and immobilise the ankle, following an injury or surgery. It is made of plaster and bandages, and is wrapped around the lower leg, forming a rigid support that helps the ankle heal.
Swelling
The advantage of a back slab ankle is that it can be applied quickly and easily, and it allows the skin to breathe, which can reduce the risk of skin breakdown or infection. It’s usually applied for a few days or weeks until the swelling has gone down and the ankle is more stable, at which point a traditional cast or boot may be used for continued support.
Highlanders Public Relations Officer (PRO) when called yesterday affirmed with the latest developments surrounding the new team fans’ favourite and said they were waiting for the doctors’ results on the player. “It’s true that ‘Pupu’ is currently injured and this came at the most inopportune time, given that he was just coming into his best form and had even been named man of the match last week. We’re hoping that the injury isn’t too serious and that he’ll have a speedy recovery. It would be a major blow for Mbabane Highlanders if ‘Pupu’ would be unavailable for our next league game,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Ally Kgomongwe-led team managed to secure the signature of attacking midfielder from arch-rivals Mbabane Swallows. The former Polokwane City player had initially tendered his resignation letter to Umkhonto KaShaka, due to minimum game time under gaffer Caleb ‘No Nosense’ Ngwenya and made the switch in a reported move worth E80 000. Highlanders will also be hoping to see the availability of defender Thami Zulu and Sibusiso Tfwala who are all doing light training.
For More News And Analysis About Eswatini Follow Africa-Press
