Michaelson Ntokozo Gumede

By Ntokozo Gumede

Journalist


Pitso explains wild celebration after Mahlambi goal

When Mamelodi Sundowns scored their fifth goal against Al-Ahly through Phakamani Mahlambi, coach Pitso Mosimane ran down the touchline to celebrate with his players.


Mosimane says what spurred him to join his players at the corner flag was because he and Mahlambi were emotional about the 21-year-old scoring against his former team, and not because his side had put five unanswered goals against the Egyptian giants in their first-leg quarterfinal at the Lucas Moripe Stadium.

“When I recruited Phakamani it was very difficult for him,” said Mosimane, who relayed the conversation between him and the former Al-Ahly player before he joined Masandawana.

“The boy was always saying ‘coach please fetch me, I am in the jungle, I am alone, nobody talks to me and I don’t even go to training, they went for pre-season and they left me here alone’. It was too emotional for a 21-year-old to be left there alone like that.

“I said to Phakamani I will do my best. One thing I promised him is that I would bring him back home and I knew that I would give him a small chance and that was the right time for him to score. It was emotional for me because I struggled with Phakamani and I am yet to get him right, he is a youngster. Yes he is a big name at the moment but he needs lots of support.

“I put him in and I told him to go score a goal and send a message and when he scored I was emotional and I went there. I did not go there because of five goals, I could have gone every time they scored but that one meant a lot for him and me. I hope he scores again in Egypt,” said Mosimane.

The return-leg is scheduled for next week in Cairo, and Mosimane says his side will need to double their efforts.

“I hope we can keep the integrity and results and I hope we can protect the big wave that we have done. We don’t have a guarantee but we need to believe in the way we play and we need to double our efforts.”

 

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