Mahlambi made 17 appearances (12 starts plus 5 as a substitute) scoring four goals last season, but in that time he had already made a huge statement about what he is capable of doing on the field.
The misfortune of a knee injury in February then brought to a halt his progress, with his older brother Mthobisi then coming to the 19-year-old’s rescue by donating his hamstring tendon which helped fix the damaged knee in a revolutionary procedure in this country.
This kind of surgery has ensured that when Phakamani returns he will still be just as quick.
“He is running in a straight line,” says Hunt in giving an update about Mahlambi.
“Obviously turning and all those kind of things will come but he is running in a straight line and he is so much stronger now. You understand the story of what happened with his brother which for me is mind boggling.
“He is running now and I would safely say in the second round he will be back around which will be around February since in January we will not be playing and this obviously gives him a longer break as well. Certainly for me he is our missing link, he is an X-factor,” says Hunt.
Wits will be against Mamelodi Sundowns in the final of the MTN8 on Saturday with Mahlambi to watch from a distance just like he did with the Olympic Games in Rio.
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