Although he has been on the sidelines due to a niggling hamstring injury for almost two months now, Zebras central defensive midfielder, Gape Mohutsiwa (25), is currently enjoying his spell with Algerian side, Association Sportive Olympique De Chlef (ASO).
The former Jwaneng Galaxy midfielder joined ASO on a three-year deal back in July 2022 but an injury delayed his instant impact even though he played five matches prior to the injury setback.
Responding to questions by Voice Sport this past week, Mohutsiwa said he was close to full recovery from the injury he sustained on the 14th of October.
“I started training a few days ago, and I passed the light training as I am slowly being integrated into the group and I traveled with the squad to our midweek fixture against CS Constantine. In addition, I cannot wait to get back on the field of play, it feels like years since I played,” he said.
Currently languishing in the ninth spot, Mohutsiwa’s ASO De Chlef has registered four losses, and four draws, and won three times after 12 matches played, which could be a concern even though it is still the early stages of the season.
Quizzed about the most difficult match he played so far, Mohutsiwa vividly spoke about his debut match against JS Kabylie, one of the top sides in Algeria. “The intensity and the tactical discipline was on another level. Furthermore, I struggled with adapting to the climatic conditions as it was extremely hot. However, I was happy to do all the dirty work just in front of the defense which is my preferred position even though we double pivot in most of our matches,” he said.
The Palapye-born midfielder also shed light on the language barrier. “Algeria is a French and Arabic-speaking country but a few of the guys (players and team officials) helped eased my arrival at the club as they could speak English fluently. I instantly felt at home and started relaxing and did what I love the most which is playing football,” he said.
Mohutsiwa further hinted that he was looking forward to improving as a midfielder with regard to tactical awareness. “I cannot wait to return to playing as I want to continue my growth as a player and help the team thrive again,” hinted Mohutsiwa.
