Sundowns Striker Mauricio Affonso eager to play at his best again!

With the Premier Soccer League being put on ice, and the subsequent nationwide lockdown that followed, Mauricio Affonso has benefited greatly from the time-out.

In March, it was confirmed by the club that the striker had undergone ankle surgery and would not be part of the Mamelodi Sundowns squad for the rest of the season as the operation ruled him out for at least three months.

There has been no football for that exact duration because of the Coronavirus outbreak across the globe, and it has given Affonso, who joined Masandawana at the start of the 2019/20 season, some sufficient recovery time.

“It’s going well. It’s been three months since the operation and thankfully that had gone well. I did it at the right time because  I was dragging these pains in my ankle and it wasn’t allowing me to play at my best,” the forward offered an update from his home in Uruguay.

“I must say this lockdown has allowed me to heal properly and relax a bit. And also not be so anxious because if you are busy with rehabilitation and you see the football continuing around the world and Sundowns carrying on, the anxiety can make you want to play before you are ready but thankfully this wasn’t the case.”

Affonso was beginning to find his feet in a new environment when the injury held him back, with 6 goals from 13 games in all competitions.

“I’ve been recovering well and just taking it day by day. To be honest, with these long injuries you have to be patient. But thankfully I’ve been feeling good and working well with the physiotherapist here in Uruguay,” he explained.

Like most in the football fraternity, Affonso is awaiting the greenlight before he can return back to South Africa for the season restart.

“Obviously I am just waiting like everyone for everything to go back to normal with this COVID situation. I am also excited to travel back to SA to see the team and train again with them. The time I’ve spent with the team has been great,” he added.

“I felt welcomed by the coaches, my teammates and the directors. So right now I am just waiting for when I can return and play football which is what I love.”