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Hunt explains Mahlambi omission

Cape Town - Bidvest Wits head coach Gavin Hunt says Phakamani Mahlambi is still a work-in-progress and therefore not an automatic starter.

The hugely promising Mahlambi was supposed to have travelled to Zambia last Friday as part of the South African u20 side which will do duty in the u20 Africa Cup of Nations.

He may still fly in for their first game, but for the time being, Hunt has not allowed the young marksman to depart the club.

Mahlambi however has not been in the last two starting XI's and began on the bench in a 5-0 win over Baroka FC and a 2-0 defeat to Mamelodi Sundowns last week.

According to Hunt, the 19-year-old has not impressed enough to force the likes of Gabadinho Mhango or James Keene, the two starting strikers of late, out of the team.

"To be fair, he hasn't done enough to get in the side and you can see why," the Clever Boys coach said after the Sundowns game.

"He's a young boy and he will learn, he's got to get better.

"There's a lot of things we need to work on, but he's a big part of the team going forward and we obviously need him."

National U-20 coach Thabo Senong meanwhile explained his stance on Mahlambi in an interview with the Sowetan.

"The management is currently dealing with the issue of getting Phakamani‚ maybe before our first game.

"We're hoping for that as a technical team. But as we are travelling now‚ we do so with 20 boys who we fully trust. Twenty boys who can do the job against Cameroon.

"But if Phakamani can still join us he will certainly be welcome."

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