Former Orlando Pirates star Gabadinho Mhango has earned the top-three final shortlist for the 2022 CAF Goal of the Year Award.
FARPost has seen communication from the Confederation of African Football (CAF) inviting the newly signed AmaZulu striker to the awards ceremony scheduled for Morocco on July 21 2022.
CAF has addressed the forward’s invite through the Football Association of Malawi (FAM General Secretary Alfred Gunda.
“We would like to inform you that as part of the voting process of the CAF Awards 2022, Mr Hellings ‘Gabadinho’ Mhango has been shortlisted among the players competing for the Goal of the Year,” the letter reads.
“In consequence, CAF is extending him a formal invitation to attend the ceremony scheduled for the 21st of July in Rabat (Morocco). Kindly assist us in confirming his presence and giving us his desired travel itinerary to/from Morocco as well as providing us with his passport for the necessary travel arrangements.”
The Flames attacker has earned the shortlist for the wonder goal he scored at the delayed 2021 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) finals in Cameroon earlier this year. The former Bidvest Wits FC forward scored when Malawi lost 2-1 to Morocco in a round-of-16 match in Cameroon.
Other players whose goals were nominated for the award are Ellyes Skhiri, Ben Malango, Sanaa Massoudy, Keitsumetse Dithebe, Adama Congo, and Youssouf M’changama and Pap Ousmane Sakho.
However, it is not clear as to who are the other two players who have made the final cut alongside Gabadinho.
According to CAF, fans will cast their votes online via cafawards2022-goty.com to decide the winner.
The former Bloemfontein Celtic player finished with three goals from three AFCON matches in Cameroon. Still, his red-hot form meant nothing to the Pirates co-coaches Mandla Ncicazi and Fadlu Davids, who continued to consign the Malawian to the periphery, leading to his exit.
The 29-year-old is bidding to become the second Malawian to win the CAF award after legendary Clifton Msiya, who achieved a similar fear at the 1984 AFCON finals held in Ivory Coast.
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