Lamontville Golden Arrows Goalkeeper Siyabonga Mbatha grateful to be back

Mbatha made his return when Abafana Besthende won 2-1 against Pretoria Callies. 

"Obviously we work hard to get playing opportunities, so this means a lot to me. I need to do well to keep my place in the starting line-up. I've only played three games so far. I think my confidence is slowly coming back, so hopefully I can do better in the next game," he said.

Mbatha says knowing that he has people that rely on him kept him going. The 34-year-old had last made his PSL appearance when he played for AmaZulu in 2021.

"As a person you can't just give up. If you are doing something that you are passionate about, you keep on going. Also, we have responsibilities, we have kids and families that we look after so it's important for me to keep on going and wait for an opportunity," he added.

Mbatha says they will not allow Royal AM to beat them three times in one season and promised a fight on Saturday in the Nedbank Cup last 16.

"We wouldn't want to be beaten by Royal AM for the third time in a row, it's just bad for us. So, we are going to go out there and fight. We want to win and progress to the next stage. Playing and winning that game will boost our confidence for our next league game against Swallows," he concluded.