Agent says Pirates must be ready to lose Gaba
Frank ‘Gabadinho’ Mhango’s agent Mike Makaab has said Orlando Pirates must be ready to lose the red-hot forward if he maintains his rich vein of form this season.
The Malawi international has raised his game this season and sits pretty at the summit of Absa Premiership scoring charts with 14 goals, three above his closest chaser Bongi Ntuli of AmaZulu. Mhango has one more in cup competitions, taking his tally to 15 this season.
Makaab was quoted by KickOff.com on Friday as having said that there is a possibility of his client attracting offers from Europe as a result of his current form.
“I think Pirates need to be ready, not me. We must be grateful to Orlando Pirates for giving him the opportunity,” says Makaab.
He suggested that if good offers were to come in Mhango’s way, Pirates chairperson Irvin Khoza would not stand in the player’s way, “something that has been proven to be the case for several former Bucs players who have left the club to play in Europe”.
Said Makaab: “I’ve got a great relationship with the chairperson [Khoza] and he has never stood in the way of any players who want to play in Europe.
“We’ve seen what has happened with [Marshall] Munetsi, who went to France. In the earlier days [Benedict] Vilakazi, [Mbulelo] Mabizela and the late [Lesley] Manyathela, who was on his way to France.
“So, the chairperson never stood in the way of any player who has shown they are capable to play at the highest level. I don’t think they can stand in Mhango’s way.”
But in an interview from his Johannesburg base on Friday, Mhango said his focus now is purely on Pirates.
“For now, I have to fully concentrate on Pirates because they are my current employers and my loyalty is to them.
“If an opportunity from overseas comes up, then my agent [Makaab] will handle that… Probably that is why he is commenting and I would rather leave that to him,” he said.
In 2018, Mhango underwent trials at Portuguese top-flight league outfit Vitoria Setubal, but he was not offered a deal.
The 27-year-old has a good chance to make history if he scores 20 or more goals in the league for the first time since Siyabonga Nomvethe in the 2011/12 season.
Last Saturday, Mhango powered Orlando Pirates to second position in the South African Premier Soccer League (PSL) when he claimed a brace in a 2-1 win over Chippa United.
Except for one match, Mhango has been on target in every game since Germany coach Josef Zinnbauer took over the mantle at the Buccaneers, scoring 11 goals in the past seven matches.
