Frank "Gabadinho" Mhango has returned from a six-match ban for a spitting incident in time for Bidvest Wits’ Telkom Knockout final against Bloemfontein Celtic‚ and coach Gavin Hunt seems eager to hand the fiery forward a role despite his lengthy absence.
Mhango has served a six-match suspension handed to him by the Premier Soccer League in late October for spitting at AmaZulu midfielder Michael Morton in Wits’ 3-0 Absa Premiership defeat in Durban on September 20.
The Malawian is available to be fielded in Saturday’s TKO final at Princess Magogo Stadium.
Hunt was asked whether he was concerned that the destructive forward’s lengthy absence‚ having not played a competitive match since Wits’ 1-0 away win against Celtic on October 1‚ might affect Mhango’s sharpness.
“Please God it doesn’t. You know‚ we need a guy like that. He gives us pace‚ he gives us an outlet‚” the coach said.
“Listen‚ he’s not in the greatest goal-scoring form‚ is he? He hasn’t scored since the second round least year in the league‚ when we won the league.
“I mean he started off well for us‚ and he did well. But then he just went off the boil.
“But he’s a guy who’s different to what we’ve got‚ and that’s important.
“We haven’t had that. We’re very static and the movement hasn’t been good.
"I mean‚ for the last few games‚ if we’d had him‚ possibly we would have got something from him.
“Now we’ve got him back. With the period of time he’s been out it’s a gamble. But we need him.”
Mhango last scored for Wits in a 3-0 win against Lamontville Golden Arrows in April on the way to the club winning their first league title last season.
However the physical‚ strong-running presence of the powerful forward and his shock value have been missed by the Johannesburg club as they have sagged to last place in the PSL this season after 11 matches.
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