TS Galaxy head coach Adnan Beganović has confirmed that former Mamelodi
Sundowns winger Phakamani Mahlambi has been handed a career lifeline,
training with The Rockets in a bid to revive his professional fortunes.
The opportunity carries added significance as Mahlambi’s younger brother,
Seluleko, has become one of the club’s standout young talents this season.
Beganović revealed that the decision was made in consultation with chairman
Tim Sukazi, who believed the 28-year-old deserved a chance to fight for a
contract. The coach expressed his belief in Mahlambi’s inherent talent,
recalling his “amazing skills” from his time with Bidvest Wits and Sundowns.
“He deserves a second chance. I think that guy is a good human being,”
Beganović stated.
However, the coach was clear that the responsibility for success lies solely
with Mahlambi. “It’s on him. Everything is on him. He needs to push,”
Beganović emphasized, while acknowledging the player’s positive start. “What
I saw until now, the last five training sessions, he tried, he pushed
himself.”
Beganović spoke with empathy about the difficult journey Mahlambi has
endured, highlighting the mental challenge of falling from the top.
“You play for the biggest club in Africa, not in the country, and then you
lose everything. You are on the bottom,” the coach said. “It’s not [about]
how many times you fall down. It’s a story about do you want to stand up and
then fight again for something, what you actually deserve.”
This lifeline at Galaxy follows a recent stint where Mahlambi trained to
regain fitness at Gavin Hunt’s Durban City. While Hunt confirmed the player
had “certainly improved a lot,” he made no promise of a contract, stating
the goal was simply to “get him fit.”
Durban City was an attempt to rebuild. TS Galaxy is a second chance. The
door is now open, but Phakamani Mahlambi is the only one who can walk
through it.
