By Michael Madyira
Former Kaizer Chiefs forward Lebogang Manyama has revealed he was wrongfully diagnosed, leading to him receiving incorrect treatment for his injured knee.
The 32-year-old spent the whole of last season on the sidelines with a problematic knee that was being treated for MCL (medial collateral ligament) and meniscus tear.
Instead, he was supposed to nurse a torn ACL (anterior cruciate ligament), an injury he suffered while at Chiefs in March 2022.
ACL injuries can take up to nine months to heal but with Manyama being out for over a year, he will now prematurely hang up his boots.
“After being miraculously misdiagnosed with MCL and meniscus tears when in fact I had torn my ACL and made it worse whilst rehabilitating the wrong places, today marks a very sad day for me as I have to call time on my football chapter as a player,” Manyama penned an emotional message on Friday.
“It’s one I take with my head held up high because never did I think I would be so blessed to showcase my talent and meet so many wonderful souls along the way.”
After being released by Amakhosi exactly a year ago, Manyama tried to return to Cape Town City but his nagging injury collapsed the move.
His knee is now set to go under the knife for the fourth time.
“Thank you Lord for the talent and for allowing me to showcase it over and over again and as I go in for my fourth surgery on this knee, I ask for your protection,” the former Bafana Bafana star added.
Manyama began his professional career at Cape Town Spurs in 2010 and had stints at SuperSport United, Mpumalanga Black Aces and Cape Town City before heading to Turkey.
He was signed by Konyaspor after being named the 2016/17 PSL Footballer of the Year.
At Konyaspor, he shared the dressing room with Barcelona and Cameroon legend Samuel Eto’o before returning home to join Chiefs in August 2018 and spent four seasons at Naturena.
Pictured above: Lebogang Manyama
Image source: Kaizer Chiefs
