Lehlogonolo Mojela has expressed his pleasure at making his long-awaited return from injury during Stellenbosch FC’s 3-2 MTN8 quarter-final win over AmaZulu.

Having scored six times in his first nine appearances for Stellenbosch, Mojela was sidelined in December last year when he underwent surgery to address a recurrence of a pre-existing knee injury and missed the remainder of the 2024/25 campaign.

Following extensive rehabilitation under the care of Stellies’ medical department, the 28-year-old made his long-awaited return to action on Sunday when he featured from the substitutes’ bench in the club’s season-opening win over AmaZulu.

Read | Stellies down AmaZulu to reach MTN8 semi-finals

“It’s a great feeling because it’s been a while since I last made a matchday squad,” Mojela said.

“The moment the coach announced the team, I was almost emotional because I had been out of action for a long time. I still need to work hard to get back to where I was last season, but just getting a couple of minutes again was important, so I was happy to make my return.

“After the first tackle they made on me, I gained confidence because I could feel that I was back. I felt good physically, and everything felt simple again, and it was nice to get the win as well.

“Now we are all well-motivated for the weekend’s game against Kaizer Chiefs. Last season, we lost three times against them, so it’s important that we rectify those mistakes and come back with the win.”