Tshakhuma Tsha Madzivhandila head coach Dylan Kerr has revealed that the team’s goalkeeper Brighton Mhlongo has suffered a career ending injury after their incredible Nedbank Cup triumph.
Tshakhuma won the Nedbank Cup after a 1-0 victory over Chippa United on Saturday evening, earning them a place in next year’s CAF Confederation’s Cup.
The former Orlando Pirates goalkeeper Brighton’s injury overshadowed the triumph after he suffered the unfortunate injury in training.
The incident has left Mhlongo partially blind and after visiting a number of specialists, he was advised to retire from the sport as soon as possible.
“Let me give special mention to Brighton Mhlongo who is going to have to retire at the end of this season because of his eye injury,” Tshakhuma head coach Dylan Kerr said following the Nedbank Cup final.
“He made a speech to the players today which I thought optimize the character and the togetherness of the team. He is not going to go unnoticed because it broke his heart today to stand in front of his teammates knowing that he is never going to play football again.
“He made a very poignant speech today and I think that went a long way for them to perform the way they did in today’s Nedbank Cup Final.”
It is a disappointing way for the veteran to bring an end to his career but health comes first and nothing can be done in this case. For TTM, it is a sad occasion on the eve of their Nedbank Cup triumph and it means they would have to make do without their shot-stopper till the end of the DStv Premiership season.
The 30-year-old has made well over 80 appearances in the PSL for the likes of Tshakhuma, Orlando Pirates, Bidvest Wits and Chippa United. The shot-stopper has achieved 23 clean-sheets in his career during the period.
TTM still remain rooted in the relegation zone and they would now be hoping they can gain momentum from their cup win and transform that form back to the league as they hope to avoid the drop.
For their next outing, TTM will take on SuperSport United on Wednesday. Following that fixture, Kerr and company would be left with four more games to salvage something tangible from their disappointing league campaign so far.