Kaizer Chiefs defender, Daniel Cardoso, has hailed Gabadinho Mhango’s fine strike which was not enough to prevent Orlando Pirates from losing to Amakhosi during the Soweto.
For the second week on the trot, Mhango’s star shone the brightest on South Africa Premier Soccer League (PSL) biggest platform—Soweto Derby at FNB Stadium.
Mhango scored again for Pirates as they lost 3-2 to rivals Chiefs in the PSL match, a week after he came off the bench to equalise in a 2-2 draw that took the Telkom Knock-out match into post-match penalties. Pirates eventually lost the cup match to Chiefs.
In the latest derby, Leonard Castro, Cardoso and Ntsikelelo Nyauza’s own goal handed Chiefs the win whereas Vincent Pule scored Pirates’ first goal before Mhango responded with the 59th minute goal from a curling effort.
In a post-match interview with SuperSport Television, man-of-the match Cardoso hailed the Malawian’s goal.
“It was a very good free-kick from Pule, from a tight angle. I have got to give him the heads up for that and also the second goal was also a great goal from Mhango but we needed to deal with it better you know. Going 2-0 up in the first half we needed a better control of the game,” Cardoso said.
The former Nyasa Big Bullets player has now scored four goals in all competitions this season, an improvement from the three he netted all season at Bidvest Wits where he was denied enough game-time.
Mhango’s fine form should be good news as he is set to lead the Flames front-line in Wednesday’s 2021 Africa Cup of Nations Group B qualifier against South Sudan.
He partners in Flames attack with Richard Mbulu, who too, played the entire 90 minutes as Baroka FC beat Polokwane City 1-0 on Saturday in a game that also involved newly appointed Baroka captain Gerald Phiri Junior.
Elsewhere in South Africa, defender Limbikani Mzava returned to the starting line-up after a lengthy injury lay off for Highlands Park who drew 0-0 with Stellenbosch FC.