Ngoma fit and ready to relaunch career under Gavin Hunt at SuperSport

SuperSport United attacker Aubrey Ngoma is reborn and refreshed and poised to relaunch his career that stalled at Mamelodi Sundowns.

Midfielder Ngoma has seen little action since he joined Sundowns in 2018 from Cape Town City, but he has a new lease of life at coach Gavin Hunt's SuperSport United, where he has started the 2022-23 season on a positive note.

This season Ngoma has featured in all of United’s opening five DStv Premiership matches and one in the MTN8, and said he is the fittest he has been in about four seasons.

“It’s refreshing to be feeling this way because I have not had a good preseason in a long time,” he said as United prepared for their second clash in succession with Sundowns at Lucas Moripe Stadium on Friday.

SuperSport lost 2-0 to Sundowns in their MTN8 quarterfinal at the weekend and they lock horns again in the DStv Premiership looking for their second win of the season.

“I had a good six weeks of preseason where I pushed myself hard in the gym and on the field. That amount of hard work laid a solid foundation for me because over the years, when guys were doing preseason I was out injured or I used to get injured in a week or two of pre-season.

“Now I have a good foundation to sustain myself for the rest of the season and hopefully I will stay injury-free and continue to contribute towards the success of the team.

“I am the fittest I have been since my Cape Town City days, where I had good preseason. Over the last few years I haven’t had good preseason but now I can feel my body is a bit lighter and hopefully this can sustain me for the rest of the season.”

On Sunday Ngoma came on as a late substitute against Sundowns at Tuks Stadium. He said he had nothing to prove against his former team.

“The only person I need to prove something to is myself. Whether it is [against] Sundowns, Chiefs or Pirates, it is the same mentality. When I go out there I have to prove to myself  I can compete at this level, but it is interesting when it’s your former team.

“It is the Tshwane derby with bragging rights on the line and it is an important league game. Mentally I am ready. I just want to play my best game and contribute towards the team.”

Ngoma said his time away from the pitch was frustrating.

“As a footballer, you want to be on the field because that’s where you are at your happiest. I wasn’t happy not getting appearances but such is life and it happens to footballers.

“You need to grow from that, take it as it comes and be stronger because you have to keep growing.

“I am happier now that I am getting time on the pitch,” he said, explaining he struggled to get game time at Sundowns because of the quality in the Brazilians' squad.

“When I arrived, I found the team had just won the Caf Champions League and league titles.

“Coming with an injury also made it difficult for me. Those are just the facts even though I can’t use them as an excuse. It was difficult to break into the team and when you break into the team you play one or two matches and you are out.

“But I I kept working hard on the training ground because you need a positive mindset whether you are playing regularly of not.”