Pirates coach Ncikazi suggests the PSL is bigger than AFCON

Orlando Pirates co-head coach made the bizarre suggestion that the DStv Premiership is a more important competition than the Africa Cup of Nations, as he explained why he left striker Gabadinho Mhango out of the Buccaneers squad for the Nedbank Cup last 32 win over AmaZulu on Sunday.

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Despite putting up some top performances at the Africa Cup of Nations in Cameroon for Malawi, Orlando Pirates striker Gabadinho Mhango was shockingly left out of the Pirates squad in their 1-0 victory over Usuthu at Orlando Stadium.

Mhango, who hasn’t really enjoyed much game time at the Buccaneers this season with injuries and ill-discipline costing him a place in the starting line-up, made headlines during the Afcon after scoring three goals for Malawi, which saw him help the team reach the last 16 of the continental tournament, only to be knocked out by Morocco.

“Maybe the choice, with respect, the choice at Pirates (was to select) players who have been preparing for the past weeks whereas Mhango just came back,” said Ncikazi after his side had booked their place in the next round of the Nedbank Cup.

“We know he is a good player so it’s not because anything is wrong with him, it’s just competition. Currently, we chose to go with Kwame Peprah and Zakhele Lepasa. He will get his opportunity in due course, he just has to work hard like other players. Mabasa was not part of the team, he couldn’t make the 20 despite being a top player, being a player who is part of the national team.

“So, Mhango will wait like all other players. We recognise and acknowledge his performance at the Afcon but maybe the league in South Africa is bigger than the Afcon. That is a question for another day.”

It certainly doesn’t seem like Mhango will easily walk back into the Soweto giants’ starting eleven, as Ncikazi says the team is full of talent.

“Pirates are a big team. You’ve got strikers, Mhango being one of them, you’ve got [Zakhele] Lepasa, you’ve got Tshegofatso Mabasa who was not part of the team, you have Peprah, so it is a galaxy of strikers,” said the Bucs co-“head coach.

Mhango will certainly need to work extra hard to earn his place in the starting line-up, though he should make the squad when the team hosts Algerian outfit JS Saoura in the group stages of the Caf Confederation Cup on Sunday.