Ex-Sundowns and Al Ahly star told he needed six months to lose weight

SuperSport United coach Gavin Hunt revealed he told former Mamelodi Sundowns striker Phakamani Mahlambi that he needed six months to lose weight.

Hunt gave Mahlambi his DStv Premiership debut at Bidvest Wits when the striker was just 18.

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At the age of 21, the striker left Wits to join Al Ahly but he only lasted a year before returning to South Africa to join Sundowns.

At Downs, things went downhill and was eventually loaned out to several teams.

Hunt said he brought Mahlambi to Chippa but the striker snapped his achilles tendon and was out for the season.

Then I went to SuperSport, he called me and asked if he could come and train. I tell him ‘Phakamani, you don’t need six weeks, you need six months, but we can get you right in eight weeks’,” Hunt told Thisisfootball Africa.

Hunt says ex-Sundowns star struggled with weight

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“I got him no football, I had him pulling tyres and he shed a lot of weight, then he just stopped and said he can’t do it anymore. He fell out of love with the game, he is 26 years old, a disgrace. If you have pace in football, you don’t have to be a good footballer, you can get away with it because people are scared of pace,” Hunt added.

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The SuperSport mentor said Mahlambi had already had a problem with alcohol even when he played for Al Ahly.

“I was at a restaurant a couple of years ago when he just left us for Al Ahly. He had about six mates and they were having a good time, I called the waiter over and I asked what’s the bill there so far. He said the bill was R45 000,” Hunt explained.

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“They were drinking Hennessy and he was 21 years old at that time. I told the waiter to not serve any more drinks there. Where’s the mentality? I’ve tried to speak to the boy but it never worked.”

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