Why was Mhango omitted by Pirates? Ncikazi offers unexpected answer

Orlando Pirates overcame their first hurdle in the Nedbank Cup with a 1-0 win over AmaZulu in the Round of 32 at the Orlando Stadium on Sunday.

WATCH: PITSO HITS OUT AT AFCON, FIFA CLUB WORLD CUP OVERLAP

However, Gabadinho Mhango was conspicuous by his absence, with the striker having impressed for Malawi at the recently-concluded Africa Cup of Nations in Cameroon.

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Orlando Pirates will return to DStv Premiership action on 16 February

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Ncikazi has provided an unexpected explanation into the reason for his omission.

“Pirates are a big team,” coach Ncikazi said, when asked about Mhango’s exclusion, according to KickOff. “You’ve got strikers, Mhango being one of them, you’ve got [Zakhele] Lepasa, you’ve got [Tshegofatso] Mabasa who was not part of the team, you have [Kwame] Peprah, so it is a galaxy of strikers.

“Maybe the choice, with respect, the choice at Pirates [was to consider] players who have been preparing for the past weeks whereas Mhango just came back. We know he is a good player so it’s not because anything is wrong with him, it’s just competition.

“Currently, we chose to go with Peprah and Lepasa. He will get his opportunity in due course, he just has to work hard like other players. Mabasa was not part of the team, he couldn’t make the 20 despite being a top player, being a player who is part of the national team.

“So, Mhango will wait like all other players. We recognise and acknowledge his performance at the Afcon but maybe the league in South Africa is bigger than the Afcon, but that is a question for another day.”

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