TS Galaxy head coach Adnan Beganovic has revealed how a personal tragedy has derailed Phakamani Mahlambi’s ongoing attempt to revive his career with the Rockets.
The former Mamelodi Sundowns star faces a gruelling road to return to the professional level.
The 28-year-old attacker, who was once one of South Africa’s most expensive exports to Egyptian giants Al Ahly, has been training with the Mpumalanga-based side in hopes of securing a contract. His potential return is made more interesting by the presence of his younger brother, Seluleko Mahlambi, who has emerged as a standout performer for Galaxy this season.
BEGANOVIC PROVIDES UPDATE ON MAHLAMBI
Beganovic revealed that Mahlambi’s progress was recently hampered by a personal loss. “He trained with us, but in the last couple of days, he had a member of his family pass away, and then he was at a funeral,” the coach explained. He was speaking after the 3-2 loss to AmaZulu FC in the Betway Premiership at the Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban.
Despite the setback, Beganovic remains firm that the responsibility for a successful comeback lies solely with the player. “It’s not on me, it’s on him. He needs to do everything he needs to fix his body to be a professional soccer player.”
Mahlambi’s career has been stalled since 2021 following a series of off-field challenges and injuries. Beganovic did not sugarcoat the difficulty of reclaiming the form that saw the winger dominate for Bidvest Wits and the national team years ago.
“It’s not easy to do that when you lose everything, when you crash your body,” Beganovic explained. “When you want just to come on the same level as what you had before, five, six, seven, 10 years ago, it’s not easy at all. You need to suffer a lot, and then you need to take a lot of time.”
The coach noted that the long absence has disconnected the player from the physical demands of the elite game. “It will be so, so tough and difficult for him because he lost that feeling, he lost connection with his body. It’s not like before.”
TIME IS RUNNING OUT FOR MAHLAMBI
While TS Galaxy chairman Tim Sukazi and Beganovic have been keen to offer a second chance, the coach warned that the club’s patience is not limitless. With the season progressing, the technical team must weigh Mahlambi’s potential against the need for immediate results.
“Sometimes in professional level we don’t have time to wait too long for some players to come,” Beganovic admitted. “If we decide he can’t be on the top, he can’t help us, obviously we need to replace.”
The coach suggested that if Mahlambi cannot bridge the gap soon, the club may pivot to internal youth development. “Why lose that one place? Maybe we can take some young players, and then who can help us because it’s a long season.”
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