Bafana Bafana midfielder Dean Furman has fully recovered
from the injuries that he sustained in South Africa’s boisterous 2-0 win over
Central African Republic (CAR) in a 2014 FIFA World Cup qualifier. The match
was played in Cape Town last month.
The England-based midfielder was taken off late in the
first half after sustaining a gash above his eye and on the nose. He was
immediately rushed to hospital where he underwent further tests.
Although results of the scan came back positive, showing
no broken bones, there were concerns that the wounds would take time to heal.
But the hard tackling midfielder has since put that
injury behind him, playing a key role for his League One club, Doncaster
Rovers, which is fighting for promotion into the English Championship. He came
on at half-time in their 1-0 defeat to Coventry last Friday, and then made his
first start in a 1-0 home win over Swindon that took his side to the summit of
the standings.
“I have fully recovered and in very good condition. There
are still some scars to show from that memorable battleground but I am very fine
now.
“It was very painful at the time but I still wanted to go
back to the field to play but I had problems with my vision so I could not
continue. Fortunately the lads won the match which is good. But as for me I am
now 100 percent good and would like to thank everyone for the support,” said
Furman from his base in England.
“My family were there in Cape Town to support me and the
boys; and that makes one feel great. Some of them flew from England to come
watch the match. And to the people of Cape Town, I would like to thank them
from the bottom of my heart for the great atmosphere that led to our victory.”
After three matches, South Africa is second in Group A
with five points; two behind leaders Ethiopia, CAR is third with three points
while Botswana is bottom of the table with a single point.
Furman believes the top spot is there for the taking
following victory over CAR.
“We are still there and we know it’s going to be
difficult but getting that win over CAR was important for our course. Now we
need to take that confidence into the next game to keep the momentum going. We
have come a long way and we need to keep up the fight and do well in the next
two away games against CAR and Ethiopia,” said the midfielder.
He is concerned though with the situation in CAR where
South Africa are scheduled to play in June but thinks that is for the
administrators to solve rather than players.
On club matters, Furman is confident that Doncaster will
be promoted but cautioned against losing focus with just five matches remaining
in the league race in which two top teams get automatic promotion.
“It’s going to be a tight finish so it’s important that
we keep focussed and keep fighting all the way. The number one priority is
gaining promotion but winning the League One title would make it all more
special,” said Furman, who is on loan at Rovers from Oldham Athletic.
“At the moment the focus is not my future, we have to
finish the league first before I can sit down with the club and discuss my
future. It is not about me now, but about the club and the mission at hand.”
Rovers are currently on 75 points, two ahead of second-placed
AFC Bournemouth. Brentford is third on 70, followed by Sheffield United on 69
and Swindon Town on 68.
On Saturday Rovers will face Tranmere and the Carlisle
United on Tuesday.
- SAFA
