Malawi fans react angrily to Gabadinho’s omission from Pirates Confederation Cup final match | African News

Malawi football fraternity has questioned Orlando Pirates’ coaches decision to relegate striker Gabadinho Mhango to the periphery of the squad that lost 5-4 on post-match penalties to RB Berkane in Friday’s CAF Confederation Cup final on Friday evening.

Former Football Association of Malawi general secretary Charles Nyirenda wrote on Facebook that he felt Mhango could have buried some of the scoring chances which Pirates fluffed with reckless abandon in Nigeria.

“Orlando Pirates lose [the] Confederation Cup final after missing a number of clear opportunities. Couldn’t Gaba have converted some of them had he been included in the team? May be, may be note,” Nyirenda, now a pundit, wrote.

“Maybe and maybe, had the stubborn Pirates coach taken on board the out of favor Gabadhino, some of the close chances his side created could have been buried in regulation time. We can only speculate now what would probably have been if GABA was in there to do battle.”

Former Pirates midfielder Joseph Kamwendo told FARPost that no one can force the Buccaneers coaches to select Gabadinho but most Malawians expected him to be at least in the playing squad.

“There are question marks about Gabadinho’s continued omission because we depend on Gabadinho. In two weeks’ time, we [Malawi] will be playing in AFCON qualifiers and we need Gabadinho who is playing regularly at his clubs. Anyway, it is the coaches’ decision and we can’t force them,” Kamwendo said.

The former Flames midfielder said Pirates wasted a wonderful opportunity to redeem their season.

“It was their chance to redeem the season and finish with some silverware because they are struggling in the domestic league which Sundowns is dominating. Pirates missed so many chances in a very surprising manner from top players such as Hotto and Lorch. If you analyse the game, Pirates deserved to win but with penalties such things can happen,” the ex-TP Mazembe star said.

In reaction, another fan wrote: “Congratulations Berkane, Sorry Pirates.”

Taking his turn, Mayamiko Paul was sarcastic saying: “I am now feeling better than ever after that loss. Pirates shouldn’t win trophies any longer.”

Leckson Alick Sankhulani agreed with Nyirenda that Gabadinho could have made the difference in the final.

“I think most of these chances they missed were worth to be converted with our own Gaba had it been that he was included, and I know Gaba can’t miss most of those chances,” he said.

Pirates co-coaches Mandla Ncikazi and Fadlu Davids have repeatedly said they treat Gabadinho just any other player and that his 2021 AFCON red-hot form was no licence for automatic selection into the team’s playing squad.

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