AmaZulu striker Gabadinho Mhango towered above all Malawian athletes to claim the country’s Sportsperson of the Year 2022 Award on Friday.
The former Orlando Pirates star won the award in absentia at a gala held amid glitz and glamour in Lilongwe.
Mhango shrugged off competition from winners of other categories across all sports disciplines to bag the accolade.
OVERALL BEST
He was, at first, named Sportsman of the Year and his overall achievements, compared to those of other categories, translated to the overall award.
The diminutive goal-poacher has been the heartbeat of Malawi’s Flames this year.
Mhango scored three goals in three games for the Flames at the delayed 2021 AFCON finals in Cameroon.
Mhango’s goals drove the Flames to their first-ever round-of-16 appearance at the AFCON finals.
HOT SCORING FORM
Overall, the former Bloemfontein Celtic forward has netted six goals in the last 10 games for Malawi across all competitions.
The former Bidvest Wits star left Pirates in the off-season to sign for AmaZulu.
The forward has found the back of the net three times in seven games for Usuthu.
Mhango scored a similar number of goals during his frustrating spell at Pirates last season.
The recognition back home is likely to boost Gabadinho’s confidence since this is the official award recognized by the Malawi government.
NARROW MISS FOR MADUKA
In another category, Maritzburg United coach John Maduka narrowly missed the Male Veteran of the Year Award, which went to retired athlete Henry Moyo.
In another section, Malawi’s senior women’s football team earned the National Team of the Year accolade.
The women’s team skipper, Tabitha Chawinga of Inter Milan, was named Malawi Sportswoman of the Year.
Budding Enos Chatama went home with the Best Male Coach of the Year prize after leading Nyasa Big Bullets Reserves to the FDH Cup final, among other silverware.
“Thank God for the award, thank you all for your support, no honeymoon, back to work tomorrow,” Chatama said.
There was also recognition for Fifa assistant referee Bernadetter Kwimbira-Nzika who won the Umpire of the Year crown.
The awards covered the year 2020 to 2022. Last year, the awards gala did not take place due to rising Covid-19 cases.
Malawi National Council of Sports organizes and hosts awards to recognize the excellence of athletes from diverse sports disciplines in Malawi.
Individual sports associations affiliated with the council, such as football, netball, boxing and athletics, nominate outstanding athletes for the year.
After that, a panel of experts sieves the chaff from the wheat to decide the ultimate winner for such annual awards.
