Forever young: Malawi player Gaba in ‘age fix’
A case of suspected age cheating has affected Malawi and the Bullets FC striker Gabadinho Mhango who is set to start a new lease of life at a South African Premier Soccer League side Bloemfontein Celtic.
Mhango signed a one year deal on Monday with the possibility of the club extending his contract for a further two years.
But the player is ineligible to feature for the side’s top matches due to underage.
The player’s Malawian passport indicates that he was born on 27th September, 1996 meaning he is only 16 and will turn 17 next month.
Fifa came up with a foolproof way of determining real age. Players are subjected to wrist scans using magnetic resonance imaging which determine their true age. This is used in major tournaments of age restrictions.
Football Association of Malawi (FAM) Commercial and Media Manager said on Wednesday that the player cannot feature.
“According to the records Gaba is still a minor and that means he will be eligible to play in PSL in September next year,” Jangale is quoted by The Nation newspaper on Wednesday.
“But even then it is doubtful because the transfer window would have been closed and that means he will have to wait until January 201,5” he added.
Jangale said a similar incident happened with Luka Milanzi in Democratic Republic of Congo and Limbikani Mzava at Celtic Club.
Meanwhile, Celtic has expressed gratitude towards the signing of the lad describing him as “talented”.
“We are happy to have him he is young and talented with a bright future ahead if he can stay focused. I am sure that our country (Malawi) will also benefit from his services because he stands to gain more exposure,” said Malawian legend John Maduka who is now Team Manager for Celtic.
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