JOMO HAS HAD ENOUGH
Coach not for the flashy stuff
IN the only way Gavin Hunt knows how, the Bidvest Wits coach says he is using his “size eight shoe up his bottom” to keep rising 18-year-old star Phakamani Mahlambi grounded.
Mahlambi, already one of the top finds of the season, scored his third Absa Premiership goal during Wits’s 3-1 win over Jomo Cosmos at Milpark Stadium on Sunday night ... his second in two games.
The skilful kid weaved webs around the Cosmos defence – scoring and assisting a goal.
He was such a nuisance that Ezenkosi ’ s temperamental cen- tre-back Thato Lingwati lashed out with an elbow at him and duly earned his marching orders.
But as with most rookies, Mahlambi succumbed to doing the flashy stuff when the Clever Boys were 2-0 ahead and let a chance at a probable fourth goal go down the drain.
In the Wits dugout, Hunt was not impressed.
“I don’t think he did that because of overconfidence, it was naivety,” said Hunt.
“It is something that we need to eradicate because if he had scored a hat-trick, his name would be in the headlines. It is not about how many passes you make, it is about how many goals you score and how many chances you create.”
Hunt revealed that there was big interest in Mahlambi from clubs locally and abroad, but the coach said the youngster needed a few seasons in this league first.
After collecting the man-ofthe-match award, Mahlambi said he had benefitted from the switch from the wing to the centre of attack.
“I’m very comfortable with the move,” he said.
“The coach is right – it is the best position for me. He is the one that sees things clearer from the touchline.”
Meanwhile, Cosmos ownercoach Jomo Sono said with a headmaster ’ s tone that he was going to speak to Lingwati’s parents regarding the defender’s continued ill-discipline.
“His parents must speak to him,” Sono said.
“I’m done ... his parents must tell him that you don’t play a football game with emotions. I strongly believe, with an equal number of players on the pitch, we had a chance.”