Injuries are a player’s worst nightmare. It usually leaves psychological scars that could lead to loss of confidence and form. Returning to form from an injury takes work, and work is what Lebogang Phiri has put in to recover his previous state.
The player hopes he can get back to reckoning with the Bafana Bafana. Phiri saw his chance at the senior national team dwindle after a year on the sidelines. It has taken a while, but Phiri has found his range again in Turkey. The midfielder uses his newfound form to send the Bafana Bafana handlers a message he is ready for the team.
Phiri, 27, is one Super Lig outfit Çayuk Rizespor’s newest signing. The midfielder is in his first season with the Turkish club and is enjoying a decent start. The midfielder just returned from a knee injury that put his international career in jeopardy.
With Bafana Bafana under Belgian coach Hugo Broos is undergoing a rebuild that aims to make the South African senior team an African force again, Phiri could play a role in it. The Bafana is rebuilding for the Africa Cup of Nations in 2023 and the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Phiri can still make it to the Qatar World Cup next year, but it is currently a long shot.
Phiri is clear about being part of the team to Cameroon and the ongoing World Cup qualifiers but he is unsure if the coach has even noticed his progress.
Speaking in an interview from Turkey, Phiri said he and Broos have not talked. He also believes Broos does not know him and his antecedents with the South African team. He, however, insists Broos has to know the players that are available to him.
“He should know players in higher-rated leagues in the world that could represent the country. And of course, after that, the decision is his to make along with his selection panel.
Everything these days is just a click away – for anyone to know Lebo Phiri’s whereabouts, you click on a computer screen, no need to jump on a plane.”