Richards Bay Chair Defends Mhango’s Lifestyle: Players Drink Alcohol
Richards Bay chairman Sifiso Biyela has defended Gabadinho Mhango’s checkered past of enjoying the nightlife, challenging, “Show me which player in the PSL doesn’t drink alcohol?”
Mhango was unveiled by Richards Bay on Tuesday alongside Lindo Mtshali, Thabani Zuke, Benson Mangolo, Halalisani Vilakazi, Ntokozo Nzama, Sboniso Madonsela, Philani Khumalo, Lundi Mahala, Mbulelo Nombengula, and Olwethu Mbambo.
Mhango has a reputation for partying. Last season, while at Marumo Gallants, he was involved in a car accident and appeared to be intoxicated. His drinking habits also reportedly led to AmaZulu, under Pablo Franco Martin, parting ways with him in 2023.
At Pirates, Mhango was also reported to have left a nightclub in Pretoria without settling the bill. However, Richards Bay is desperate for a goal scorer next season, especially after losing Yanela Mbuthuma to Pirates during the off-season.
Chairman Biyela’s Stance on Player Conduct
“I’m talking to you here, you are journalists, and I respect that,” said Biyela when asked about Mhango’s past. “You also have your other side that I have seen, and I have never judged you because when you do your work, you always do it diligently. So, I’m not in the position of judging people; I’m not Jesus. My role is to support people; my role is to try and get the best out of those people.”
Biyela emphasized his focus on the positive, stating, “So, most of the time I look at the positive side and try and be a father figure to deal with the negative side. But I don’t want to be negative because when I focus on that, the mistake that I’m going to make will be to try and suppress all the things that he has done.”
Performance Over Lifestyle
The 33-year-old Mhango, who won the league title with Bidvest Wits in the 2016/17 season and claimed the PSL Golden Shoe, scored five goals in 22 matches across all competitions for Gallants, helping them finish 10th in the Betway Premiership standings.
Mhango, who also played for Moroka Swallows, has won the MTN8 twice and the Carling Knockout.
“The fact of the matter is, statistics are there in terms of the goals that he is scoring,” Biyela continued. “Give me the player that doesn’t drink and who is giving you those statistics – they don’t drink, they don’t score. They drink; they score. What do I want? I’m not a rehab. What do I want? I want them to score, or I want them to change their lifestyle?”
Nurturing Talent
Biyela, who also lost forwards Justice Figareido and Somila Ntsundwana to Chippa United, confirmed he would speak with Mhango about his well-known past.
“But, for the badge and everything, perception and everything, I will definitely sit down with the player,” said Biyela. “I will try and make him understand he is in the twilight of his career and one of the things he must do, he must do these things at his own time. Those things must not affect his work. I have lots of players who drink, and some of them you don’t even know they drink, but I know they drink.”
He concluded by stressing the importance of nurturing players: “The way they play, the way they are disciplined, but what matters here is to make it a point that we nurture them.
“We are fathers, we are parents, we have to nurture those people and not judge them, but nurture them to the point that we sit down and say, ‘You see, I have tried, and you are letting yourself down, what do you want me to do now?’ I can’t just dwell on the negative because you will end up going to all these (night) clubs in Richards Bay checking who’s drinking. Those who are drinking are scoring; those who are not scoring are doing nothing.”
