Gaba finishes third
Flames forward Frank ‘Gabadinho’ Mhango has finished as third joint top-scorer with three goals at the just-ended Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) finals.
The 29-year-old has finished five goals behind Golden Boot Award winner, Cameroon’s Vincent Aboubaker and two short of another Indomitable Lions’ striker Karl Toko Ekambi.
The Flames prolific marksman tied with Senegal and Liverpool forward Sadio Mane, Morocco’s Sofiane Boufal and Mali’s Ibrahima Kone.
To his credit though, Mhango’s sheer quality shone like a beacon as he scored the three goals in three matches, an average of a goal per match while the others played more games.
That is not all. The Orlando Pirates forward also outshined Egypt’s Mohammad Salah, who is the English Premiership leading scorer and Ivorian striker Nicolas Pepe, who plays for Arsenal. They scored two goals apiece.
Dethroned champions Algeria’s forward Riyad Mahrez did not find his way on the scoresheet.
In an interview from his Johannesburg base in South Africa yesterday, Mhango said finishing third was satisfactory, considering that the Flames were eliminated in the round of 16.
He said: “I am sure I could have scored more had we progressed, unfortunately it didn’t work out because priority was the team other than individual achievements.
“Credit should go to my teammates because it was all down to team work. The coaches also deserve special mention for their drills and inspiration.”
On how he feels about outshining the likes of Salah, Mhango said: “It is a good feeling really, but I need to remain focused so that I can take my game to another level.”
Football Association of Malawi technical director Mario Marinica, who was in charge of the Flames at the tournament, said: “Well…What can I say? Gaba is a fantastic player and I am pleased that he is back in form.
“Obviously, he hasn’t had the same exposure that other players have. I cannot say he is better or equal or near Mane and Salah, but if the kid had a different exposure and upringing in terms of football, he could have been really a fantastic player.
“He works really hard and his achievement is also down to team work on the pitch and behind the scenes.”
Football analyst Charles Nyirenda said: “That is encouraging to him and our national team because we’ve suffered for a while from goal drought.
“Yes, he scored more than the famous heavies, only that the tournament was a hard one for Europe-based strikers to shine because defences were tough. In our case, Gabadinho was the target man.”
