Malawi football fraternity has stepped up its bid to have AmaZulu star Gabadinho Mhango bag the 2022 CAF Goal of the Year Award.
A video clip of the former Orlando Pirates striker’s goal at the delayed 2021 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) finals in Cameroon has gone viral on various social media platforms in Malawi.
Football Association of Malawi president Walter Nyamilandu is leading the campaign, cajoling fans to vote for the forward’s strike.
Nyamilandu said no other player deserves the accolade than the 29-year-old finisher.
“Gaba deserves the goal of the tournament at AFCON, Cameroun 2021. Show your admiration and patriotism by voting now using the link below. Your vote counts http://cafawards2022-goty.com,” Nyamilandu tweeted.
The former Bidvest Wits FC forward earned the nomination for his absolute stunner for Malawi in a round-of-16 match in which they lost 2-1 to Morocco at the Cameroon AFCON held earlier this year.
Other players whose goals have been nominated for the award are Ellyes Skhiri, Ben Malango, Sanaa Massoudy, Keitsumetse Dithebe, Adama Congo, and Youssouf M’changama and Pap Ousmane Sakho.
According to CAF, fans will cast their votes online via cafawards2022-goty.com to decide the winner.
“Fans can vote for their favourite strike (http// cafawards2022goty.com), and their voting will carry 70 per cent weight on the final decision of the winning goal,” reads a statement from CAF.
The ex-Bloemfontein Celtic player finished with three goals from three AFCON matches in Cameroon.
However, when he returned to Pirates camp, his red-hot form meant nothing to the then co-coaches Mandla Ncicazi and Fadlu Davids, who continued to consign the Malawian to the periphery over reported disciplinary issues, leading to his exit.
Gabadinho is bidding to emulate Clifton Msiya, the only Malawian to have won such an award at the 1984 Cote d’Ivoire AFCON finals.
Msiya danced his way past the then impregnable Nigerian roadblock Stephen Keshi in full flight with the ball glued to his feet to score a wonder goal.
The AFCON game between Malawi and Nigeria ended two-all.
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