When Orlando Pirates announced the abrupt departure of Gabadinho Mhango during the off-season, it was met with a lot of mixed emotions by the Bucs faithful, given his off-the-field antics.
One faction of fans welcomed the move away from the club, while some sat on the opposite side of the table with a belief that he still had a lot to offer, especially under a new coach who, it was widely reported, prefers possession-based football.
The former Bidvest Wits star played a pivotal role for The Flames at the 2022 Africa Cup of Nation [AFCON] held in Cameroon.
‘Gaba’ as he’s affectionately known, scored five goals on Africa’s biggest football stage, including a cracking goal from the halfway line against Morocco. His heroics were not enough to earn him a spot in the Buccaneers’ starting lineup as he remained frozen out of the team.
With the Flames talisman becoming increasingly frustrated in the stands, a move elsewhere in search of regular football was inevitable. He joined AmaZulu in a swap deal that saw Tapelo Xoki move in the opposite direction.
FARPost looks at how the Malawian international could have fitted like a hand-to-glove in José Riveiro’s system.
SHORT PASSING FOOTBALL
Since the beginning of the DStv Premiership season, the Soweto giants have been playing exciting possession football with patient build-up from the back until the final third.
Although Pirates play mouth-watering football, the goals have dried up, and perhaps many would admit the goal-scoring challenges faced by the team are emanating from not having the right profile in the striking department.
One of Mhango’s best abilities is being able to play on the shoulders of defenders to create a space to score goals.
ELIMINATING REINFORCED DEFENCE
Many teams, when facing Pirates, employ a low block which has proven increasingly difficult to break down.
Having a player of Mhango’s calibre who can shoot from outside the box presents you with opportunities to score from range.
So far in the new season, it has proven that Pirates often struggle to eliminate reinforced defences, and Mhango would have come in handy in solving goal-scoring challenges.
Furthermore, the speedy attacker peels off nicely from defenders with his explosive runs to make box entries.
CONVERTING CHANCES
With newly signed forward Beinvenu Eva Nga and the Ghanaian Kwame Peprah preferred in the striking force, the duo have seemingly found it hard to hit the back of the net.
Eva Nga and Peprah are naturally positioned as traditional No 9 or target men often situated in the 18-area. Many would argue that it doesn’t work well with a team playing in half-spaces and a lot of positional shifting.
With the number of creative players they have in their arsenal, a mobile striker who roves in and around the goal-scoring area would create possibilities to drag the opponents out of the defensive line to allow the likes of Thembinkosi Lorch, Vincent Pule and Deon to exploit spaces left behind by centre backs.
WHO DOES JOSE RIVEIRO TURN TO?
The Happy People have failed to score more than one goal per match in the opening six games of the season. It’s a worrying record that would perhaps prompt the technical team to turn to Zakhele Lepasa, who is by far a perfect match for the current coach, given his philosophy.
Lepasa, who was out for 12 months last season with a long-term injury, looked sharper on Wednesday when Pirates defeated Marumo Gallants 1-0 at Orlando Stadium.
The former South Africa youth international is a mobile striker who enjoys playing on the shoulder of defenders.
Given time the 25-year-old might prove pivotal as the club looks to celebrate 85-year anniversary with some silverware.
