Nasimba counsels Gabadihno

Big Bullets starlet Gabadini Mhango must keep his cool and avoid playing into the hands of counterparts bent on having him punished by referees.

Bullets veteran supporter Raphael Nasimba offered the youngster the advice following a red card he received for feigning an injury in a Presidential Cup semi-final against Escom United at Kamuzu Stadium on Sunday.

“I had a father-and-son kind of chat with him after the game. He is young and it is never easy to handle the pressure that comes with playing for a big team,” Nasimba said when he called The Nation on Thursday.

On the particular incident, when Gabadini pretended to have been hacked down while trying to force his way between defenders, Nasimba felt he could have avoided the resultant second yellow card.

“I told him that he must be on guard against opposing team players who would provoke him to have him sent off. In that game, I observed that he was getting it tough. As a sportsperson, I had to talk to him,” said Nasimba who has remained loyal to Bullets for over three decades.

The 20-year-old Gabadini has established himself as a fan-favourite at Bullets having been instrumental in the team’s qualification to their first major final in four years.

There is interest from foreign teams such as South Africa’s Jomo Cosmos, but analysts have cautioned against rushing the striker.