Gabadinho Mhango of Orlando Pirates gets a card during the Absa Premiership 2019/2020 football match between Chippa United and Orlando Pirates at Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium, in Port Elizabeth on 1 February 2020. Photo: ©Deryck Foster/BackpagePix
Pirates dealt Mhango blow in bid to end five-year trophy drought
Orlando Pirates have been a dealt a blow as their in-form top scorer will miss the side’s next match and pose a selection problem for coach Josef Zinnbauer.
Gabadinho Mhango of Orlando Pirates gets a card during the Absa Premiership 2019/2020 football match between Chippa United and Orlando Pirates at Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium, in Port Elizabeth on 1 February 2020. Photo: ©Deryck Foster/BackpagePix
On Saturday evening, Bucs beat Chippa United 2-1 thanks to a brace by the PSL’s top scorer, Gabadinho Mhango. Unfortunately, he collected his fourth yellow card of the season in the match and will now serve a one-match ban.
Mhango yellow-carded for dissent
He was yellow-carded for dissent as frustration got the better of him in a game where he should have been awarded a penalty after being brought down inside the box. The Malawian striker’s work-rate, closing down and aggression, have been crucial to Pirates’ turnaround in form and not just his goals.
The 27-year-old Malawian striker will now miss Pirates’ Nedbank Cup clash with his former club, Bidvest Wits, on Sunday as Bucs look to end a trophy drought extending back to 2014 when they won the Nedbank Cup that year.
15-goal haul and counting
Mhango has netted 14 goals in just 18 league games this season and he has also netted once in the Telkom Knockout to give him an impressive 15-goal haul this far in his first season at the club. His incredible run of form started under former interim head coach Rhulani Mokwena in early November.
He netted in consecutive games against Kaizer Chiefs under Mokwena, as well as scoring against Polokwane City, but he has taken his form to another level under Zinnbauer with 10 goals scored in seven games under the German coach.
Three replacement options
Pirates have three possible options to replace him in Justin Shonga, Tshegofatso Mabasa and the little-used Zakhele Lepasa.
Shonga has started once under Zinnbauer against Bloemfontein Celtic as Mhango’s partner (in a 4-4-2 shape with two inside wingers), but the Zambian had little effect on the game and did not appear to be on the same wavelength as his teammates.
Mabasa, meanwhile, has made only three short substitute appearances under the German coach and has struggled to refine his pressing game since moving to Pirates. He is a better finisher than Shonga, but less of an all-round threat.
The final genuine striking option is youngster Lepasa, who was linked with a January loan move to Chippa United, but was instead kept at the club.
He would be a surprise selection and an outside bet would be seeing Pirates use a false nine. Some like Vincent Pule could perhaps play that role with Pirates bringing in an extra attacking midfielder (likely Kabelo Dlamini or Austin Muwowo) or they could hand a debut to Nkanyiso Zungu in the engine room and rejig the side.
