Former Baroka FC playmaker Gerald Phiri Junior has won the Sudanese Premier League title with Al Hilal, albeit absentia due to an injury.
Despite being back home in South Africa, the former Bidvest Wits winger followed proceedings keenly in Sudan, where Al Hilal beat Tuti 3-0 on Tuesday.
The win saw Al Hilal wrapping up their 16th league title on 77 points from 30 games, three ahead of second-placed rivals Al-Merrick on the 16-member log table.
Phiri said he was happy to have contributed to Al Hilal’s success after scoring three goals in six games while providing several assists before sustaining the injury.
“Yeah, just won the league championship,” he tells FARPost.
Mohamed Faoud, who appears to be part of the Al Hilal fraternity, has since congratulated Phiri for winning the title in absentia.
“We are the champions…we are the best, thanks to all players. It was a difficult season, and special thanks for @Gerald_Jr….we missed him today. We hoped to see him on the podium holding the cup,” Faoud tweeted.
The Malawian suffered the injury while playing for the Flames in Guinea, where they lost 1-0 to Naby Keita’s strike in a Group D match of the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers last month.
The Malawian international tells FARPost he faces up to six months on the sidelines due to the injury.
“Injury [recovery] getting better by the day. One day at a time. I had an operation, and I should be out for six months…It happened in the game against Guinea, where I ruptured my Achilles tendon,” he said.
Al Hilal have since wished their man well, tweeting: “You will come back stronger.”
The former Platinum Stars player was part of the Malawi squad that played at the 2021 AFCON in Cameroon.
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