Mhango pens a three-year deal with Usuthu

Malawi National Team lethal forward, Frank Hellings Gabadinho Mhango has put on to paper a three-year contract with Amazulu Football Club as per reports.

The 29-year-old striker joins Amazulu on a reportedly fee of R13 million from Orlando Pirates where he played for three seasons.

Mhango who displayed a stellar performance with Flames in 2021 Afcon that was hosted by Cameroon in January, 2022 having scoring all 3 goals for the Marinica’s side, has been lacking game time at Orlando Pirates this season with reasons known by Buccaneers’ technical panel.

In the just-ended season, Mhango has been restricted to only 10 appearance in all competetions with all of those coming as a substitute.

Earlier last month, Mhango’s agent Makaab who played for Pirates in in 90s, held a meeting with Buccaneers Charman, Dr Irvin Khoza and the theme was about his (Mhango) future at the Club.

The two parties mutually agreed to part ways at the end of the season if good offers that is beneficial to both player and Club come in.

Makaab said, “I’ve met with the chairman (Khoza) and a lot will depend on whether the technical staff see Gaba as part of the plans the new season. If not, and we should know very soon, then the chairman has given me his blessing to look for another club for Gaba, as long as the deal is a fair deal for both Pirates and the player, then I think we can probably do something,”

Mhango has been with the Buccaneers for three seasons now, and where things went wrong between him and the technical team remains unclear.

Mhango was once Pirates’ top striker, when he shared the DStv Premiership Golden Boot award with Peter Shalulile of then Highlands Park after scoring 16 goals each and his record since joining them in July 2019 is impressive

Soon after joining Pirates from Bidvest Wits, Mhango took the Premier Soccer League by storm as he netted 17 goals in 29 competitive matches, and that included 16 league goals.

The Malawi international lost form in his second season with Pirates but he still did not do too badly as he scored six goals in 32 matches across all competitions.

Overall, Mhango has featured 73 times for Pirates over the last three seasons, scoring 23 goals and assisting in a further four.

Amazulu have finished 7th on the table with 41 points and Mhango will miss the Continental football after joining Amazulu.

AmaZulu on Thursday announced six of 10 players as they ‘build for next season and beyond’

The Durban based side also revealed that they had cut down the average age of their squad.

The side also released 15 players at the end of the season including Xola Mlambo, Thabo Qalinge and Luvuyo Memela and Malawi’s Captain, LimbikaniPupaMzava. 

In a statement sent out on Thursday afternoon, Usuthu announced that they had signed 10 players but only listed six, with the rest to be named at a later stage.
 
The Durban based side also revealed that they had cut down the average age of their squad as they look to build a team who will compete for not ust one season.

“We await the conclusion of a further signing of two players and the promotion of two players from the MDC (DDC) whom we will reveal as soon as it is practicable. 

“Once concluded, the average age of the 10 new signings will be 25 years. Incidentally, the average age of the 15 players that AmaZulu let go was 30 years.

AmaZulu wants to build the core of the team with the capacity to compete in the forthcoming season and beyond,” reads the statement.

The other new signings are: Thendo Mukumela, Veluyeke Zulu, Riaan Hanamub, Dumisani Zuma, Augustine Kwem.

One of the players who were released by Usuthu, Mulenga has meanwhile challenged his firing at the club and appealed to club president Sandile Zungu to reinstate him.

Mulenga is currently injured and feels the club should have taken care of him until he was fit before firing him.

Othe Clubs that were mulling to secure Mhango’s signature are Pirates’ neighbours, Kaizer Chiefs, the Confederation Cup Champions, Berkane of Morocco, Tanzanian outfit Young African.

Mhango joined Bloemfontein Celtic from Nyasa Big Bullets in 2013 before sealing a move to Lammontville Golden Arrows in 2015. Gabadinho went on to join Bidvest Wits in 2016 before joining Orlando Pirates in 2019.