Great news! Bafana defender recovers from injury
Siyabonga Ngezana can finally see light at the end of a long injury nightmare.
Details: South Africa centre-back Siyabonga Ngezana has returned to group training with Romanian club FCSB after a lengthy spell on the sidelines. The 29-year-old underwent knee surgery in early June and was pictured working with his teammates again this week as he continues the final stages of his recovery.
Ngezana initially suffered the knee problem while representing Bafana Bafana at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations and later aggravated it after returning to FCSB. The defender continued playing for a period while managing the pain and delayed surgery because he still hoped to earn a place in South Africa's squad for the 2026 World Cup.
After eventually missing out on the World Cup squad, the former Kaizer Chiefs player underwent successful surgery. His last competitive appearance came in mid-May, and he has yet to feature in the 2026/27 season. FCSB have not confirmed when he will be ready to return to competitive action, so the defender still has work to do before regaining full match fitness.
The comeback is also positive news for Bafana Bafana head coach Pitso Mosimane, although competition at centre-back is fierce. Mbekezeli Mbokazi, Ime Okon, Olwethu Makhanya, Khulumani Ndamane, Lebone Seema and Nkosinathi Sibisi are among the options currently available to the coach. South Africa are due to face Kenya twice during the November window in the 2027 AFCON qualifiers, but Ngezana's readiness for those matches remains uncertain.
It is worth noting that Ngezana has 14 senior caps for South Africa. He also played every minute of Bafana Bafana's four matches at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations before his long injury layoff.
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