Gabadinho Mhango

{{short description|Malawian footballer}} {{Use dmy dates|date=July 2022}} {{Infobox football biography |name = Gabadinho Mhango |image = |fullname = Hellings Frank Mhango<ref name="nation">{{cite web|url=http://www.mwnation.com/national-news-the-nation/183-nation-on-sunday-sports/national-sports/7993-gabadinho-making-huge-impact-for-bb |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130419120756/http://www.mwnation.com/national-news-the-nation/183-nation-on-sunday-sports/national-sports/7993-gabadinho-making-huge-impact-for-bb |url-status=dead |archive-date=19 April 2013 |title=Gabadinho making huge impact for BB |author=Gomezgani Zakazaka |date=21 July 2012 |publisher=Nation Online }}</ref> |birth_date = {{birth date and age|1992|9|27|df=y}} |birth_place = Chiweta, Malawi |height = 1.62m<ref name = "NFT"/> |position = Striker |currentclub = Richards Bay |clubnumber = 7 |youthyears1 = |youthclubs1 = Brave Warriors |years1 = 2012–2013 |clubs1 = Big Bullets |caps1 = |goals1 = |years2 = 2013–2015 |clubs2 = Bloemfontein Celtic |caps2 = 46 |goals2 = 15 |years3 = 2015–2016 |clubs3 = Lamontville Golden Arrows |caps3 = 13 |goals3 = 5 |years4 = 2016–2019 |clubs4 = Bidvest Wits |caps4 = 52 |goals4 = 14 |years5 = 2019–2022 |clubs5 = Orlando Pirates |caps5 = 55 |goals5 = 21 |years6 = 2022–2023 |clubs6 = AmaZulu |caps6 = 16 |goals6 = 4 |years7 = 2023–2024 |clubs7 = Moroka Swallows |caps7 = 24 |goals7 = 7 |years8 = 2024–2025 |clubs8 = Marumo Gallants |caps8 = 20 |goals8 = 5 |years9 = 2025– |clubs9 = Richards Bay |caps9 = 14 |goals9 = 4 |nationalyears1 = 2012– |nationalteam1 = Malawi |nationalcaps1 = 74 |nationalgoals1 = 20 |club-update = 14:50, 4 January 2026 (UTC) |ntupdate = 14:50, 4 January 2026 (UTC) }} '''Hellings Frank "Gabadinho" Mhango''' (born 27 September 1992) is a Malawian professional footballer who plays as a striker for Richards Bay and the Malawi national team.

==Club career== Mhango has played club football for Brave Warriors, Big Bullets, Bloemfontein Celtic, Lamontville Golden Arrows and Bidvest Wits.<ref name = "nation"/><ref name = "NFT">{{NFT player|id=48217|accessdate=4 January 2026}}</ref><ref name = "SW">{{Soccerway|hellings-frank-mhango/320141|accessdate=18 November 2024}}</ref>

In June 2019, he signed for Orlando Pirates.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.timeslive.co.za/sport/soccer/2019-06-26-orlando-pirates-signal-their-intentions-with-gabadinho-mhango-signing/|title=Orlando Pirates signal their intentions with Gabadinho Mhango signing|website=TimesLIVE}}</ref>

He moved to AmaZulu in June 2022.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.news24.com/sport/soccer/psl/amazulu-sign-10-new-players-including-gabadinho-mhango-and-dumisani-zuma-20220609|title=AmaZulu sign 10 new players including Gabadinho Mhango and Dumisani Zuma|first=Tashreeq|last=Vardien|website=Sport}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.idiskitimes.co.za/latest-news/mhango-opens-up-on-amazulu-move/|title=Mhango Opens Up On AmaZulu Move|date=13 June 2022}}</ref> He then played for Moroka Swallows, Marumo Gallants, and Richards Bay.<ref name = "NFT"/>

==International career== He made his international debut for Malawi in 2012.<ref name = "NFT"/> In September 2012, Mhango was called to the Malawi squad for the forthcoming Africa Cup of Nations qualifying match against Ghana.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/19450324|title=Malawi's hot-shot Gabadini Mhango earns trip to Ghana|date=1 September 2012|author=Frank Kandu|website=BBC Sport|publisher=British Broadcasting Corporation}}</ref> In May 2013, it was announced that he would be unavailable for two forthcoming World Cup qualifying matches due to his school exams.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/22433658|title=Exam stops play for Malawi striker Mhango|date=7 May 2013|author=Frank Kandu|website=BBC Sport|publisher=British Broadcasting Corporation}}</ref> Mhango scored twice in Malawi's first 2015 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying match against Chad on 17 May 2014.<ref>{{cite web|website=BBC Sport|title=2015 Nations Cup: Malawi begin with victory|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/27408933|date=17 May 2014|publisher=British Broadcasting Corporation}}</ref>

Mhango's goal during the 2021 African Cup of Nations against Morocco made it to the top three of CAF Awards for the goal of the tournament.<ref>{{Cite web |date=21 July 2022 |title=Gabadinho up against Senegal's Pape Ousmane Sakho and Morocco's Zouhair El Moutaraji for Goal of the Year award - Malawi Nyasa Times - News from Malawi about Malawi |url=https://www.nyasatimes.com/gabadinho-up-against-senegals-pape-ousmane-sakho-and-moroccos-zouhair-el-moutaraji-for-goal-of-the-year-award/ |access-date=21 July 2022 |website=www.nyasatimes.com |language=en-GB}}</ref>

===International goals=== :''As of match played 5 September 2025. Malawi score listed first, score column indicates score after each Mhango goal.''<ref name = "SW"/>

{| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" |+ International goals by date, venue, cap, opponent, score, result and competition |- !scope=col|No. !scope=col data-sort-type=date|Date !scope=col|Venue !scope=col|Opponent !scope=col|Score !scope=col|Result !scope=col|Competition |- !scope=row|1 |23 March 2013||Sam Nujoma Stadium, Windhoek, Namibia||{{fb|NAM}}||align=center|1–0||align=center|1–0||2014 FIFA World Cup qualification |- !scope=row|2 |rowspan=2|17 May 2014||rowspan=2|Kamuzu Stadium, Blantyre, Malawi||rowspan=2|{{fb|CHA}}||align=center|1–0||rowspan=2 align=center|2–0||rowspan=3|2015 Africa Cup of Nations qualification |- !scope=row|3 |align=center|2–0 |- !scope=row|4 |31 May 2014||Stade Omnisports Idriss Mahamat Ouya, N'Djamena, Chad||{{fb|CHA}}||align=center|1–3||align=center|1–3 |- !scope=row|5 |rowspan=3|12 June 2016||rowspan=3|Independence Stadium, Windhoek, Namibia||rowspan=3|{{fb|ANG}}||align=center|1–0||rowspan=3 align=center|3–0||rowspan=3|2016 COSAFA Cup |- !scope=row|6 |align=center|2–0 |- !scope=row|7 |align=center|3–0 |- !scope=row|8 |26 May 2019||rowspan=2|King Zwelithini Stadium, Umlazi, South Africa||{{fb|SEY}}||align=center|1–0||align=center|3–0||rowspan=3|2019 COSAFA Cup |- !scope=row|9 |28 May 2019||{{fb|NAM}}||align=center|1–1||align=center|2–1 |- !scope=row|10 |2 June 2019||Princess Magogo Stadium, KwaMashu, South Africa||{{fb|ZAM}}||align=center|1–0||align=center|2–2 {{pen|2–4}} |- !scope=row|11 |13 November 2019||Kamuzu Stadium, Blantyre, Malawi||{{fb|SSD}}||align=center|1–0||align=center|1–0||2021 Africa Cup of Nations qualification |- !scope=row|12 |31 December 2021||Prince Abdullah Al Faisal Stadium, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia||{{fb|COM}}||align=center|1–0||align=center|2–1||Friendly |- !scope=row|13 |rowspan=2|14 January 2022||rowspan=2|Kouekong Stadium, Bafoussam, Cameroon||rowspan=2|{{fb|ZIM}}||align=center|1–1||rowspan=2 align=center|2–1||rowspan=2|2021 Africa Cup of Nations |- !scope=row|14 |align=center|2–1 |- !scope=row|15 |25 January 2022||Ahmadou Ahidjo Stadium, Yaoundé, Cameroon||{{fb|MAR}}||align=center|1–0||align=center|1–2||2021 Africa Cup of Nations |- !scope=row|16 |rowspan="2"|5 June 2024||rowspan="2"|Bingu National Stadium, Lilongwe, Malawi||rowspan=2|{{fb|ETH}}||align=center|1–0||rowspan=2 align=center|2–1||rowspan="2"|2023 Africa Cup of Nations qualification |- !scope=row|17 |align=center|2–0 |- !scope=row|18 |18 November 2024||Bingu National Stadium, Lilongwe, Malawi||{{fb|BFA}}||align=center|1–0||align=center|3–0||2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualification |- !scope=row|19 |5 September 2025||Obed Itani Chilume Stadium, Francistown, Botswana||{{fb|NAM}}||align=center|2–0||align=center|2–1||2026 FIFA World Cup qualification |- !scope=row|20 |8 September 2025||Bingu National Stadium, Lilongwe, Malawi||{{fb|LBR}}||align=center|1–2||align=center|2–2||2026 FIFA World Cup qualification |}

==References== {{reflist}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Mhango, Gabadinho}} Category:1992 births Category:Living people Category:Malawian men's footballers Category:21st-century Malawian sportsmen Category:Malawi men's international footballers Category:Nyasa Big Bullets FC players Category:Bloemfontein Celtic F.C. players Category:Lamontville Golden Arrows F.C. players Category:Bidvest Wits F.C. players Category:Men's association football forwards Category:Malawian expatriate men's footballers Category:Malawian expatriate sportspeople in South Africa Category:Expatriate men's soccer players in South Africa Category:Orlando Pirates F.C. players Category:2021 Africa Cup of Nations players Category:AmaZulu F.C. players Category:Moroka Swallows F.C. players Category:Marumo Gallants F.C. players Category:Richards Bay F.C. players