Gabadinho Mhango resumes Richards Bay training after Malawi rehabilitation

Gabadinho Mhango has returned to training with Richards Bay FC after spending several weeks in Malawi completing his rehabilitation from an Achilles injury.

The 33-year-old striker rejoined his team-mates on Monday after undergoing corrective surgery during the winter. Mhango sustained the injury in November and has been working towards a return to competitive football.

Although he has not set a date for his comeback, the Malawi international said he could be available to play once his fitness has been fully restored.

“I’m back in South Africa. I’m just finishing my recovery; I’m wrapping up my recovery. I’m no longer training on my own; I’m now training with the rest of the team,” he confirmed, speaking exclusively to KickOff.

“But I’m also doing some extra training on my own, just to catch up with the team in terms of fitness because it’s been a long time.”

Mhango’s injury and subsequent treatment have been linked to a dispute with Richards Bay FC. The KwaZulu-Natal-based club has been accused of failing to meet its contractual obligations by refusing to pay for the player’s medical treatment and operation.

It has been reported that the president of the Football Association of Malawi intervened personally to settle Mhango’s surgery costs and helped fund the forward’s rehabilitation while he was in Malawi.

The player declined to comment directly on the contractual disagreement.

“As for the club not fulfilling their contractual obligations, [laughs]… that one I cannot comment on; I don’t want to lie.”

Instead, Mhango stressed that the timing of his return would depend on how quickly he regains full match fitness.

“But what I can say is, I cannot say the exact date I will be back playing, because I can say next month, only to find that it happens sooner than that.”

“It’s just a matter of fitness. Yesterday, I was with the guys at training,” he adds.

Mhango is now training with the Richards Bay FC squad rather than working alone, although he continues to complete additional individual sessions as he attempts to close the fitness gap created by his lengthy absence.

The striker’s return comes as Richards Bay FC sit 13th in the Betway Premiership table. The club will hope Mhango can make a positive contribution once he is cleared to return to competitive action.

For now, the focus remains on completing the final stages of his recovery and rebuilding his fitness after surgery. No specific date has been given for his return to matches, with Mhango warning that his comeback could happen sooner or later than any early prediction.