Motupa Suffers Pneumonia Setback & Chirambadare’s Injury Flares Up
Magesi coach Owen da Gama expressed his disappointment at not being able to utilize former Mamelodi Sundowns and Orlando Pirates striker Gift Motupa, who is currently recovering from a pneumonia infection.
Motupa, who joined Magesi in the off-season, has been absent from the Limpopo-based team since his brief appearance in the closing minutes of their Betway Premiership defeat to Mamelodi Sundowns on January 22nd.
The 30-year-old has missed Magesi’s last five matches across all competitions, including their recent victories against Cape Town City and Polokwane City, which provided a much-needed boost to the club’s morale.
Another player whose playing time has been limited since da Gama’s arrival is Edmore Chirambadare. Chirambadare notably provided the assist for the winning goal in Magesi’s Carling Knockout Cup victory over Sundowns in November.
However, the former Kaizer Chiefs winger has not featured in a single match for Magesi since da Gama replaced Clinton Larsen. Larsen had consistently praised the Zimbabwean international, recognizing his significant contribution to the team’s promotion to the top flight last season.
Similar to Motupa, Chirambadare is facing an extended period on the sidelines due to a recurrence of an injury sustained during training.
“Chirambadare has been out for two months, and after returning to training last week, the injury flared up again,” da Gama explained following his team’s 3-0 defeat to AmaZulu at the Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban on Saturday. “Gift has also been out for a strong pneumonia infection, but he is back at training. He is working very hard.”
He continued: “So, I was hoping to push him because there is quality there. I was hoping to push him as hard as we can, but when the guy gets sick it makes it difficult.”
Magesi had high expectations for Motupa, who has won three league titles with Sundowns, as well as the MTN8 and Nedbank Cup. However, he has only made four league appearances so far. Da Gama believes that Motupa’s move to Magesi could be an opportunity to revitalize his career.
Da Gama has high regard for Motupa, having included him in South Africa’s Under-23 squad for the 2016 Rio Olympic Games in Brazil, alongside Deolin Mekoa, who also played a key role in Magesi’s promotion last season under Larsen.
