A year ago, Gabadinho Mhango was punished for being ambitious.
The Malawian striker signed a pre-contract with Bidvest Wits while still playing for Bloemfontein Celtic, a decision that left owner Max Tshabalala fuming and subsequently locking Mhango out of the townhouse provided by the club and informing him he had no business showing up at their training grounds.
Golden Arrows, coached by Clinton Larsen, a man who was on hand to give Mhango his debut when he arrived at Celtic, offered to give him a temporary home until he joined Wits at the start of the current season.
It all appears to have been worth it as Mhango, 24, says he is a much improved player now.
“I think I am a lot better since I joined this club,” said the soft-spoken forward.
And he wasn’t just answering the question because he had to.
Mhango scored five goals in three matches over the last week, coming off the bench against Ajax Cape Town to bag two in his side’s 5-0 win and grabbing the crucial away goal in their CAF Champions League preliminary round first leg encounter against Saint Louisienne of Reunion.
He was also voted Man of the Match when the Clever Boys brushed aside Orlando Pirates 2-1 in an Absa Premiership clash on Wednesday night.
Mhango is no doubt one of the key men for Wits this season and could be important yet again on Saturday evening when they host Louisienne for the return leg here in Johannesburg, although coach Gavin Hunt will field most of his fringe players and perhaps use his in-form striker as cover should his plan go a bit pear-shaped.
Hunt did most of the talking when Mhango was the one supposed to answer questions around whether he’d finally found his feet at a club chasing the championship this season.
He is just two league goals shy of his best tally of nine, which he scored in his first year in the PSL during the 2013/14 campaign, and there’s half of the season still to go.
“I don’t think he knows how good he could be,” Hunt said.
“To have a guy like James Keene next to him can help, learning from him about the mentality and how to play the game.
“Mhango has got more ability than anything I’ve seen for a long time.
“There is no ceiling with this boy, but he knows there are parts of the game he needs to work hard on, especially when we are defending and we don’t have the ball.
“Our team in general needs to learn how to be the best without the ball. When that is the case, then Mhango will get chances.”
Wits’ Champions League second leg tie against Louisienne kicks off at 6pm.
@superjourno