Mlambo only joined the Buccaneers in January this year from Bidvest Wits, but such has been his impact that one could be forgiven for thinking he has been part of the setup for several years.
The 27-year-old initially made a name for himself with his silky touches on the ball and his sharp eye for threading passes through the smallest of spaces.
He also won over football lovers at The Clever Boys, where he partnered alongside Thabang Monare in the centre of the park as they famously tore Mamelodi Sundowns apart in that 2016 MTN8 final.
“He’s effective, he can think and he’s good both on and off the ball. He has great vision and he’s a good passer of the ball,” Monare tells snl24.com/kickoff.
“He has a good mindset and he’s always positive as a player, willing to learn and having a desire to improve. So, he’s done well for Pirates and I still believe he has more to give.
“I think he can give something special in the Derby. We all know he’s a good player, I played with him and I still watch him. I know what he can do.”
‘Ten-ten’, as the Dobsonville-born playmaker is affectionately known, prior to the match against Chippa United last Saturday had registered the greatest number of touches (726) and passes (640) amongst his teammates in 10 Absa Premiership outings thus far.
He has also made a total of 17 tackles and three interceptions – more than any other Pirates player this season; however, there are some weaknesses to his game, says Monare.
“Aerial balls, he doesn’t like it all. He hates going up in the air, so I think that’s something he can work on,” his friend and former teammate jokes.
“We both don’t score much, so that’s also another thing. There’s no excuse in that, we just need to improve in front of goal.”
Since joining Pirates, Mlambo has remained grounded and his relationship with Monare continues to grow.
“We actually still talk a lot and push each other every day. We talk about football and how we can help each other improve. Our friendship hasn’t changed at all. Although, he’s been a bit reluctant to talk about this weekend’s game [against Kaizer Chiefs], ha ha!”