Gabadinho reacts to bittersweet loss to Pirates

South Africa’s Richards Bay FC’s striker Gabadinho Mhango has spoken of the bittersweet experience of facing his former employers Orlando Pirates in Saturday’s Carling Knockout Cup semifinal.

The Malawian left a big memory marker at the Soweto giants after helping them win several silverwares while also claiming the Premier Soccer League Golden Boot Award for the 2019-2020 season.

 

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The pint-sized forward won the individual accolade jointly with then Highlands Park Fc counterpart Peter Shalulile, now a Mamelodi Sundowns legend.

The 33-year-old eventually left Pirates in 2022 for AmaZulu FC before seeking refuge at Moroka Swallows briefly then left the Birds when their wings were clipped after selling their Betway Premiership status to Marumo Gallants.

The Rumphi-born man spent barely a season with Gallants before signing for Bay this season.

Despite featuring for seven other Premier Soccer League (PSL) clubs, including Bloemfontein Celtic, the Flames star is often associated with Pirates. Little wonder, some Buccaneers’ fans chanted his name during the game against the Natal Rich Boys on Saturday.

In a reaction, Gabadinho told SuperSport Television he was sad not to score during the game, but happy nonetheless to reunite with his former Pirates’ team mates.

“This is a semifinal and it comes once in a year, so if a team comes to the semifinal like this, you have to fight for it. For us, we will try again next year. That is our target,” the ex-Bidvest Wits FC man said.

Asked about not been able to score during the game, Gabadinho insisted that Bay tried its best but luck was not on its side.

“This is our job [scoring]. This is what we try to do. But today, the other team was solid at the back. We tried our best but at the end of the day, we move on to the next one,” Gabadinho explained.

How did Gabadinho Mhango feel facing Pirates

The former FCB Nyasa Big Bullets star then shared his feeling of sharing the field of play with former Pirates team-mates such as Deon Hotto.

“It was good to see old friends. They are my former teammates from Orlando Pirates, but at the end of the day, you have to move on. It was good to see the guys I shared the dressing room with,” he added.

During the match, Tshepang Moremi’s strike at the end of the first half was enough for Abdeslam Ouaddou’s side to overcome Bay at Moses Mabhida Stadium, a 2010 FIFA World Cup venue. Pirates will now await the winner of Sunday’s second semifinal between Golden Arrows and Gallants at the King Zwelithini Stadium.

Gabadinho is the only Malawian player on the books of a PSL club in South Africa and is the Flames’ poster boy.