Albert Mahlangu on Muti and Player Injuries in South African Football
Orlando Pirates legend Albert ‘Bashin’ Mahlangu has lifted the lid on what he believes lies behind the sudden loss of form and persistent injuries haunting some of South Africa’s top-flight stars – and he’s pointing the finger inside the dressing room.
In a forthright interview with KickOff, the former Buccaneers midfielder claimed that muti is being used by players against their own teammates, not just opponents, with careers suffering as a result.
“Don't be fooled by people making noise, it's tough on the pitch. I played for Pirates, and it wasn't easy,” Mahlangu said, setting the tone for a blunt assessment of the modern game.
“Where are these players?”
Mahlangu didn’t speak in generalities. He went straight to names in the current Orlando Pirates squad that, in his view, illustrate that something darker might be at play.
“For example, at Pirates, where is Andre Jong? Where is Kabelo Dlamini?
“Evidence Makgopa too, a player I knew very well, that he would always score if introduced in the second half, but he has disappeared.
“Yanela Mbuthuma was brought in from Richards Bay, scoring goals from left, right, and centre.
“He got there at Pirates, he scored and scored... all of a sudden, he has stopped scoring.
“Surely, there is something happening with these boys,” he asked.
To Mahlangu, these dips are not just footballing slumps or tactical casualties. He believes the pressure and desperation at elite level push some players into using muti in ways that sabotage their own colleagues.
“Use muti the right way”
Mahlangu is not condemning the use of muti outright. Far from it. He insists it has a place in the sport – but only, he says, when it is used for self-improvement and collective success.
"If you and I are teammates, you must use muti the right way. Use it to improve yourself and help the team win, not to destroy me.
"If I am destroyed, how are we supposed to play? You need 11 players on the pitch to form a team.”
His concerns stretch beyond Pirates. He pointed to a worrying injury pattern at a Soweto rival.
"Kaizer Chiefs have five left-backs on the injury list. How is that possible?”
For Mahlangu, those numbers don’t add up without some sort of unseen interference.
Protect your boots, protect your career
The 62-year-old urged current professionals to be vigilant, not just about their bodies, but about their belongings and their spiritual protection.
“It's not easy in these teams. People scream from the stands, shouting at players, but they don't know the many challenges players face.
“If you are a professional footballer, use something to protect yourself. Please protect your gear – your soccer boots, kitbag with some muti of your own – so that when your teammate tries to put some muti in your bag, it doesn't work.
“When was the last time Tapelo Xoki played a match? Sihle Nduli had just returned from injury, but suddenly he’s injured again."
Those examples, he suggested, underline how fragile a player’s momentum can be if they are not, in his words, spiritually guarded.
“Something is wrong”
Mahlangu contrasted today’s long layoffs with what he experienced during his 12-year spell at Orlando Pirates, where he says serious injuries were rare and recoveries were swift.
"Such things were not common during our time.
"I played for Pirates for 12 years. In that period, I only had one ankle injury.
"I got injured today, and the next day I was back on the pitch.
"Thanks to an old man who cut open my ankle and put some stuff in, and I was at training the following day.
"Nowadays, players get injured at training and stay out for six months.”
He didn’t sugar-coat his conclusion.
"Imagine six months out? Something is wrong.
“So, players, please protect yourself. Use something."
In a league where careers can turn overnight and squad lists change by the week, Mahlangu’s words land like a warning shot: in the battle for form, fitness and contracts, the fight might not only be against the opposition.
