The Newport striker talks about his feelings after making a full recovery from a protracted injury layoff.
Yesterday was Offrande Zanzala’s first Newport County appearance since February 2023. Zanzala had surgery to repair a serious knee injury he sustained during the previous season, and he has been working hard to get back to full health ever since. He expressed his happiness to be back playing football in front of the Amber Army despite the long break.
He said, “I’m happy to be back, of course, after being out with an injury for such a long time.”
“Although I’ve put a lot of effort into my rehabilitation, the team’s support, the physiotherapist’s guidance, and the training itself have all helped me heal.
“I’ve been away from the field for a while. I’ve made every effort to divert my attention by researching activities that I may not have done in the past. Reading is one activity I’ve started to incorporate along with my studies, spending time with family, etc.
“Securing the victory and taking that pitch for the first time yesterday was an incredible moment for my family and me!” He gave an explanation.
It felt incredible to be back on the pitch, put my shirt back on and play in front of the fans after a lengthy absence.
Zanzala replaced Seb Palmer-Houlden, who ended the game, and played for six minutes during yesterday’s match against Swindon Town. Following his recovery, he revealed his objectives for the rest of the season, saying, “I just want to score as many goals as I can.”
“I want to play my game, stay injury-free, and assist the team wherever I can.
“I consider it my responsibility as a senior pro [professional] to lead by example and assist my teammates on and off the pitch.
The forward said, “As a team, we have our collective goals that we want to achieve and we want to keep climbing the league and scoring goals and, of course, build on this run that we have built in recent weeks.”
Next Saturday, when the Exiles visit Mat Sadler’s Walsall team in the Midlands, you can watch Oz return to action.
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