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Ricky Zililo, Senior Sports Reporter
KABWE Warriors’ finish in the Zambian Premiership will determine whether or not former FC Platinum midfielder Winston Mhango will sign a long-term contract with the club.

The combative central midfielder recently signed a three-month contract extension with Kabwe Warriors up to the end of August.

His initial two-year deal expired on May 23 and with the Zambian League set to resume next month, Kabwe Warriors were hard pressed to extend Mhango’s stay.

In an interview from his Zambian base, the ex-Hwange player said he agreed a three-month extension while deciding his next move.

“I’ve just extended my contract for three months with a clause that l’m free to leave when l want to because there is no signing on fee. Remember, our season is still to end and we are yet to resume play, meaning that there are no possible deals to pursue. I’ll look at available offers once the season ends,” said Mhango.

“Talking about the future all depends on when we finish the league and how we will end our season. Right now, I want to concentrate on resumption of games,” he said.

Kabwe Warriors are seventh on the league table and a top four finish might influence Mhango to have a change of heart and commit to the club.

He said the lockdown has not been easy on him and he has tried his best to manage the situation by following the training programmes they were given by the technical team.

“There are no offers because teams are waiting for the season to end and that is when l will be able to engage in any talk. At the moment it’s difficult because it’s more like the league is still on. My stint at Kabwe Warriors has not been bad and we’ve done well so far after qualifying for the Top 8 and looking at the permutations, we still have a chance of making it into the top four. My focus therefore is on helping the team”, he said.

Kabwe Warriors are on 38 points from 25 games and trail fourth-placed Nkana Red Devils by five points.

Mhango was lured from FC Platinum by coach Tenant Chilumba in December 2018, just a month after playing a pivotal role in helping the Zimbabwe champions lift their second Premier Soccer League title.

Chilumba now coaches Forest Rangers and Mhango might consider a reunion with the gaffer, who also trained him at Hwange and FC Platinum.

Before the Covid-19 lockdown, there were reports that a number of Zambian clubs were interested in signing Mhango. — @ZililoR