TS Galaxy coach clears the air on Phakamani Mahlambi situation | OneFootball

Interview

Beganovic on Mahlambi training with Galaxy

Photo: @phaka_34 / Instagram

TS Galaxy head coach Adnan Beganovic has set the record straight on former Mamelodi Sundowns and Al Ahly winger Phakamani Mahlambi training with the club.

The 28-year-old forward has been unattached since the end of the 2021/22 campaign and was spotted training with The Rockets at Wits Sturrock Park on Thursday.

When quizzed on the player resurfacing at Galaxy, the Bosnian mentor stated that he, along with Tim Sukazi, decided to hand Mahlambi a second chance and admitted to being impressed by his skills when he was at the pinnacle of his career.

“We made a decision to take him to train with us and then you know everybody deserves a second chance. I think that guy is a good human being, I watched some video clips when he started to play for Wits, Sundowns and he's an amazing player, he has amazing skills,” said Beganovic.

"We made that decision with the chairman and he asked if we want to try to push him, to try to bring him back on the business and I think he deserves a second chance and we are so happy to have an opportunity to maybe do that.

While Beganovic is keen to gamble on Mahlambi, he says the final decision lies entirely with the Bidvest Wits academy product's work rate and ethic during his assessment at the club.

“It's on him, everything is on him, he needs to do that, he needs to push, he needs to improve but I think he wants [to]. What I saw until now, last five minutes sessions, he tried and he pushed himself but let's give him time to show,” he added.

"It's not easy, I know he fights everyday because on one hand you have everything, you play for the biggest club in Africa, not in the country, and then you lose everything, you are at the bottom and it's not point how many times you fall down - it's a story about do you want to stand up and fight again for something, what you actually deserve, what you had and lost.

"It's just about that, I think he deserves a second chance and I hope he can improve, first of all the physical part and tactically and maybe if he can do that we can use him for the rest of the season, maybe for the next round.